Early Literacy Game: I Spy

Once again, we have a totally free and educational early literacy game. This one brings a new twist to the classic “I Spy” game so many of us have played as kids. This one is especially great because you can play it around the house, at the store, the library, and anywhere else where you and your child have a few extra moments for fun.

Like all of the games we highlight here, you can adapt this one to your child’s ability level as they progress.

I Spy…

Ability level: pre-reader

Directions: This game takes the classic “I Spy” game to learning letters and sounds. Begin the game by picking an object for your child to guess. Think of the beginning sound in that object, and tell you child, “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with a / / (insert the sound of the first letter). Your child will then search for the item that begins with that sound.

Once they find it, then it’s their turn to give you the beginning sound of their object.

Once your child gets good at finding objects with the beginning sound, switch it up with using the middle and end sounds, or even with rhyming words.

Benefits: This game does a great job at helping children separate sounds in a word, which is an important skill for your child to develop as they enter phonics and reading.

Be sure to follow along to catch the next game. In the meantime, have fun! If you would like more information about other fun early literacy games, check out sightwords.com.