High frequency words Read/match - Nouns (Sound out words)

What’s included? This download includes x15 sheets, (x13 portrait, x2 landscape orientation) pdf format.

What’s it for? This downloadable resource provides engaging word and picture matching puzzles that encourage learners to sound out and read decodable high-frequency nouns.

The words are clearly linked to specific phonics Phases (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6+). Use the included colour-coded key to quickly identify and introduce the correct puzzles, ensuring you align the activity with your learners’ current phonics proficiency level.

Who’s it for? Designed for Early Years and Year 1 pupils learning these sounds for the first time. Ideal for Year 2 reinforcement and suitable for EAL (English as an Additional Language) and older learners needing additional support.

How to use it? To prepare for the activity, an adult should pre-cut the set of 53 word and picture cards along the dotted lines. Shuffle the pieces and place them face-up on the carpet or a tabletop. Learners are then challenged to read the high-frequency words and match them to the corresponding pictures.

Resource Details… The resource uses high-frequency nouns taken from the first 300 high frequency word lists (copies are included for your reference). All words are organised by the phonics phase they best fit, allowing for targeted teaching.

For easy reference, a separate summary guide is also included. This indicates which word/image card is found on which page of the resource and lists all high-frequency words alphabetically.

Five words are included with two image options each. The words with alternative images are: book, dog, duck, feet, and hat. This provides a choice of which image best supports learners (e.g., a classic hat or a woolly hat). Only one word card and one picture card are needed for the matching activity.

This resource is clearly mapped using a colour-coded key found at the top-right of every page, with a matching coloured triangle on each card:

Phonics Phase Codes:

• Pink: Phase 2

• Purple: Phase 3

• Maroon: Phase 4

• Turquoise: Phase 5

• Grey: Phase 6+

Decoding Guides:

• Underlined letters: Indicate that the letters combine to make one sound (e.g., sh in fish).

• Red letters: Identify tricky or irregular letter-sounds (e.g., gg in egg).

• Pink letters: Mark silent letters (e.g., the e in horse).

• A white tick (top-left of the image) confirms that the word is intended to be sounded out (decoded).

**Important message… Any issues please let us know - we are happy to make changes.