- What's New in K-2
- Posts
- 💡 Phonics doesn't have to be a chore! (Fun K–2 activities inside)
💡 Phonics doesn't have to be a chore! (Fun K–2 activities inside)
Playable phonics games, syllable video lessons, and free printable literacy tools for your K–2 classroom.

What’s New in K–2: Making Phonics Interactive & Joyful
This week, we are all about bringing play, movement, and joy back into your daily phonics routines. Below, you’ll find hands-on printable games, interactive digital tools, and research-backed activity guides designed to keep your early readers excited while mastering core literacy skills.
Plus, don't miss our featured TeachFlix Junior guide on teaching syllables—complete with engaging video tools and follow-up games to build strong decoding skills!
Inside:
💡 Tips, Tools and Templates: Making Phonics Fun: Engaging Activities for Early Readers
📺 Teaching with TeachFlix Junior: Syllables
😄 Giggle of the Week: Teaching letter sounds
❤️ Share your ideas with us!
💡 Tips, Tools and Templates
Making Phonics Fun: Engaging Activities for Early Readers

Image created with Google Gemini
Phonics practice works best when students can touch, move, and play. Explore these curated, classroom-tested resources to keep your K–2 learners moving and mastering key literacy skills all week long:
🖨️ Print-and-Play Games
Bring hands-on learning to your small groups with quick-prep printables. These low-prep games make decoding practice interactive and fun for early readers.
💻 Digital & Interactive Tools
Engage tech-loving students with interactive sight word games. These tools are perfect for whole-class smartboard lessons, independent tablet time, or digital learning centers.
💡 Activity Idea Hubs & Lists
Explore collections featuring dozens of creative phonics ideas, active reading games, and free sight word activities. Use these hubs to quickly refresh your literacy centers with fresh, low-cost inspiration.
👩🏻🏫 Teacher Research & Curriculum Resources
Ground your instruction in evidence-based practices with resources from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) and UFLI Foundations. Discover research-backed insights on how educational games directly build critical phonics skills.
📺 Teaching with Teachflix Junior
🍎 Syllables!

🎥 Video Link: Scratch Garden: Syllables
Scratch Garden introduces the concept of syllables through engaging visual examples by guiding early readers on how to hear, clap out, and count syllable breaks to improve decoding and pronunciation skills.
Key points covered in the video:
Syllable Definition: Explains syllables as individual units of spoken sound that contain a vowel sound and form the "building blocks" of words.
Segmenting Skills: Demonstrates practical strategies—such as clapping, chin-dropping, or counting beats—to help students break longer words into manageable parts.
Open vs. Closed Syllables: Highlights how recognizing syllable structures (like open and closed syllable endings) directly informs vowel sounds during reading.
Ready-made video resources:
🤭 Giggle of the Week

Source: Twinkl Resources via Twitter/X