Grade: Kindergarten Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Phonemic Awareness SAT: Craft+Structure ACT: Reading

Beginning Sounds

Learn to hear the first sound in words! The beginning sound is the very first sound you hear when you say a word.

📖 What Are Beginning Sounds?

The First Sound You Hear

Every word starts with a sound. The beginning sound is the very first sound that comes out of your mouth when you say a word!

Let's Practice with "B"

Listen to the beginning sound in these words:

B
🏀 Ball
🐻 Bear
🍌 Banana
Say It Slowly! When you want to hear the beginning sound, say the word very slowly. Stretch out the first sound: "Bbbball" - can you hear the /b/ sound?

More Beginning Sounds

S
☀️ Sun
⭐ Star
🐍 Snake
M
🌙 Moon
🐭 Mouse
🥛 Milk

💡 Letter Sounds to Know

Here are some common beginning sounds. Say each word and listen for the first sound!

A
/a/ like "ah"
🍎
Apple
B
/b/
🦋
Butterfly
C
/k/
🐱
Cat
D
/d/
🐕
Dog
F
/f/
🐟
Fish
G
/g/
🍇
Grapes
H
/h/
🏠
House
L
/l/
🦁
Lion
P
/p/
🐷
Pig
R
/r/
🌈
Rainbow
T
/t/
🐢
Turtle
W
/w/
🌊
Wave

✏️ Practice Time!

What letter does each word start with? Look at the picture and choose the beginning sound!

Problem 1: What sound does this word start with?

🐸 Frog

Problem 2: What sound does this word start with?

🚗 Car

Problem 3: What sound does this word start with?

🌺 Flower

Problem 4: What sound does this word start with?

🐘 Elephant

Problem 5: What sound does this word start with?

🎈 Balloon

🎮 Fun Activities

🎵 Beginning Sound Song

Sing to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star":

What's the sound that starts the word?
Listen close, let it be heard!
Say it slow from start to end,
The first sound is your new friend!
/B/ for ball and /S/ for sun,
Finding sounds is so much fun!

🔍 Sound Hunt

Go on a sound hunt around your home!

  1. Pick a letter sound (like /b/)
  2. Walk around and find things that start with that sound
  3. Say the word slowly to check: "Bbbbook - yes, it starts with /b/!"
  4. How many things can you find?

👂 Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Play this game with a grown-up!

  1. The grown-up picks a sound (like /m/)
  2. They say different words
  3. If the word starts with /m/, give a thumbs up! 👍
  4. If it doesn't, give a thumbs down! 👎

Try these: Moon (👍), Dog (👎), Milk (👍), Sun (👎), Mouse (👍)

🎨 Draw and Label

Practice beginning sounds with art!

  1. Draw a picture of something you like
  2. Say the word slowly
  3. Write the beginning letter next to your picture
  4. For example: Draw a tree, write "T"

✅ Check Your Understanding

Which word starts with the same sound as "Sun"?

Which word does NOT start with /b/?

📝 What We Learned

👂

Listen Carefully

The beginning sound is the very first sound in a word.

🐢

Say It Slowly

Stretch out the word to hear the first sound better.

🔤

Letters Make Sounds

Each letter makes its own special sound.

🎯

Match Sounds

Words that start with the same sound share the same beginning letter.

🚀 Next Steps

  • Practice listening for beginning sounds in everyday words
  • Play the sound hunt game with different letters
  • When reading books, point to words and say their beginning sounds
  • Try the Rhyming Words lesson to learn about ending sounds!