Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 12
First Sounds
What sound does it start with?
What your child practices
Hearing the first sound in a word (b in bus) and linking it to its letter. Say the words out loud together and stretch out the first sound.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: K.RF.2; K.RF.3 · hearing first sounds and matching them to letters
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Say the word out loud.
- Listen to the very first sound.
- Find the letter that makes that sound.
Example: Which letter does “ball” start with? Say “ball”: b-b-ball. The first sound is /b/. Answer: b
First Sounds in Arizona
In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 2 of 12 in Kindergarten English Language Arts, after Letter Partners and before Rhyme Time.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- Kindergarten guide for Arizona parents
- Printable Kindergarten English Language Arts sheet
- Arizona report cards explained
Source: Arizona Department of Education
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which one starts with “f”?
- 🍿popcorn
- 🦶foot
- 🦋butterfly
🦶 foot
Hint: Say it slowly: foot. It starts with fff, the sound of f.
Question 2
Which one starts with “l”?
- 🍋lemon
- 🚲bike
- 🦝raccoon
🍋 lemon
Hint: Say it slowly: lemon. It starts with lll, the sound of l.
Question 3
Which letter does it start with?
🐷_ig- l
- p
- s
p
Hint: Say it slowly: pig. It starts with puh, the sound of p.
Question 4
Which one starts with “b”?
- 🦶foot
- 🗺️map
- 🔔bell
🔔 bell
Hint: Say it slowly: bell. It starts with buh, the sound of b.
Question 5
Which letter does it start with?
🥪_andwich- v
- s
- l
s
Hint: Say it slowly: sandwich. It starts with sss, the sound of s.
Question 6
Which one starts with “d”?
- 🦕dinosaur
- 🪟window
- 🦊fox
🦕 dinosaur
Hint: Say it slowly: dinosaur. It starts with duh, the sound of d.