Online Games

Teachers' Favourites

Teachers’ Favourites

Links to literacy websites that focus on developing phonological awareness and offer a range of online games and printable resources.
Starfall – Learn to Read online games

Starfall – Learn to Read

A selection of games that focus on letter sounds and vowel concepts, including the ‘long A’, ‘silent E’ and ‘vowel teams’.
Letters and Sounds

Letters and Sounds

Free phonics resources for parents and teachers, including printable letter and word cards, games to play at home and links to online activities.
Rhyming Rockets

ICT Phonics and Spelling Games

A number of games where children use phonics to spell simple words. Includes ‘Forest Phonics’, ‘Viking Full Circle’ and ‘Phonics Pop’. Instructions are written so children may need help to work out how to play.
Learning Planet

Learning Planet

An animated game designed to help teach children the order of the alphabet.
Scholastic - Leo the Letter Loving Lobster

Scholastic – Leo the Letter Loving Lobster

A simple animated game that asks children to match letters to words. Useful for letter matching and recognition rather than phonics skills. Teaches letter names, not letter sounds.

Apps

Nessy Apps

Nessy Apps

($)
A range of apps teaching letter-sound correspondences and sight words.
Reading Doctor

Reading Doctor

($)
A range of apps designed by reading specialist speech pathologist to develop a range of skills including letter sounds, blending and decoding.
First Letters and Phonics

First Letters and Phonics

(Lite and $)
Can choose to use letter sounds or letter names. Activities are basic. No clear sequence.
Initial Code

Initial Code

($)
Good structure and sequence. Moves to word reading quickly. Good instructions for activities.
Little Finder ABC

Little Finder ABC

(Free)
Letter name recognition not letter sounds. Font is unusual. No instruction or corrective feedback. Child can play alone or with a partner.
Montessori Letter Sounds

Montessori Letter Sounds

($)
Simple to use. Good instructions for activities. Takes a while to get to blending and word reading.
Oz Phonics

Oz Phonics

($)
No instructional content, just practice of skills. For example, no explanation of general rules for ‘bossy e’ or vowel digraphs. No corrective feedback.

Phonics Hero

Phonics Hero

($)
No instructional content, just practice. No corrective feedback. Good scope and sequence. Engaging narrative.
Starfall Learn to Read

Starfall Learn to Read

Teaches all common letter sounds and digraphs with an introductory video, simple stories using the letters, and games to practice. Has other interesting content including art, poetry and music.
Emergent Literacy Assessment - Apps

Emergent Literacy Assessment

A simple test to determine knowledge of letter names, letter sounds and numbers
Bob Books #1 – Reading Magic

Bob Books #1 – Reading Magic

No single letter instruction or activities. Goes straight into word building and matching. Simple to use. Good for decodable reading and spelling practice.
ABC Pocket Phonics

ABC Pocket Phonics

(Lite and $)
Some basic instruction on letter sounds, including saying and tracing letters. Moves to word building after a small number of letters. User can choose which letter to learn – not restricted by unlocking levels.