Looking for free worksheets for first graders phonics instruction that actually build skills? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re working with students who need extra practice or simply want low-prep options for literacy centers, these phonics worksheets are designed to support decoding, spelling, and fluency—all while keeping students engaged.
In this post, you’ll find classroom-tested worksheets for first graders, links to printable activities for 1st graders, and a few of my favorite ways to make phonics instruction fun, hands-on, and effective.
Why Use Phonics Worksheets in First Grade?
By first grade, students are moving beyond basic letter sounds and working with phonics patterns like digraphs, blends, short and long vowels, and word families. The right first graders worksheets can reinforce these skills in a structured, consistent way—without overwhelming your planning time.
I like to use phonics worksheets as part of a weekly routine:
- Introduce the target skill (e.g., sh or long a)
- Use a worksheet or sorting activity for practice
- Follow up with hands-on games or partner work
- Wrap up with a quick assessment or review sheet
These printable activities work well for small groups, centers, early finishers, or homework.
Exclusive Freebie
Let’s start with an exclusive freebie of my CVC Word Cards with Missing Letters. These printable cards are perfect for independent centers, small groups, or even homework. Students look at the picture and identify the missing middle or final letter to complete the word. This free printable worksheet is ideal for second graders who need extra practice with spelling and phoneme identification. You can grab these cards for free by subscribing to my blog and heading to the Freebie Library.
Free Phonics Worksheets for First Graders
Word Bump – A Reading Game Students Love
Looking to make phonics review feel like playtime? Try Word Bump! This reading game comes in a variety of phonics patterns including beginning sounds, short vowel sounds, CVC words, blends, digraphs, and more. Students roll a die, read a word, and try to bump their partner off the board. It’s a fun way to practice decoding without relying on traditional worksheets.
Read more about why Word Bump is the game students beg to play in this blog post. Or subscribe to my blog and head to the Freebie Library to try it yourself!
Printable ELA Choice Boards for Literacy Centers
For a flexible, structured way to support second-grade literacy, I highly recommend my ELA choice boards. These printable boards are designed to help students practice reading, spelling, and writing in fun and independent ways. Two of the most popular are the Reading Choice Board and Reading Response Choice Board, which include options like reading in a silly voice, summarizing a book, or designing a new book cover. The best part? Students can choose their path, promoting motivation and differentiation in any classroom.
Learn more about how choice boards build engagement and independence in this blog post.
Roll and Cover – Perfect for Spelling and Sound Discrimination
Another classroom favorite is my Roll and Cover Phonics Game, which reinforces phonics and auditory discrimination skills. Students roll a die, find a matching sound or spelling pattern, and cover it. It’s simple to differentiate—have students spell out the whole word or focus on the pattern.
Subscribe to my blog and head to the Freebie Library to try it yourself! Or learn more about how it helps with tricky sounds in my post auditory discrimination made easy.
Looking for Even More Literacy Printables?
These resources are just the beginning! Be sure to explore my collection of phonics word sorts, spelling activities, and partner board games—perfect for targeting specific phonics patterns and supporting a structured literacy routine. My blog has tons of posts to help you build a literacy center routine that works, whether you’re teaching CVCe words, digraphs, or tackling writing.
Explore My TPT Store
Looking for more phonics activities and printable worksheets for second graders? Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Primed for Primary, for no-prep spelling games, literacy centers, and word sorts that align with Science of Reading best practices.
Subscribe to my blog today and gain access to my free resource library to enhance your literacy instruction. You’ll also receive teaching tips, classroom strategies, and new resource updates straight to your inbox!
