Are these preschool reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Free Preschool Beginning Sounds Picture Worksheet

About this worksheet

Hearing the first sound in a word means pulling one small piece off the front of something the child has always heard as a single lump. A four-year-old can say fish perfectly and still not notice the /f/ at the start, so this is listening work before it is letter work, and an adult has to say the words out loud. The first level puts one picture in a box and offers three more pictures; the child chooses the one that begins the same way, and nothing on the page has to be read. The second level adds the letter, which is where the sound gets a written home. The third shows four pictures at once and asks which one does not begin like the other three, so the child holds several words in mind and compares them. Stretch the sound gently, ffffish, rather than adding a vowel and saying fuh, and watch for a child matching by meaning: fish and water go together, but fish and feather are the sound pair.

What your child will learn

Hear the first sound in a spoken picture name
Choose another picture that starts with the same sound
Connect that first sound to the letter that spells it
Compare four words and find the one that starts differently

Worked example

Say fish and hold the front sound: ffff. Feather starts the same way, so feather is the match.

Common mistake

Pairing pictures that go together in real life instead of pictures that start with the same sound.

Helpful hint

Say the picture name slowly and hold on to the very first sound.

Match Big and Small Letters Rhymes and Ending Sounds

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with beginning sounds?: Pairing pictures that go together in real life instead of pictures that start with the same sound.
How can I help my child with beginning sounds?: Say the picture name slowly and hold on to the very first sound.
Are these preschool reading worksheets free to print?: Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Preschool Beginning Sounds Worksheet

Beginning Sounds