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Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 16

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: KRF2; KRF3 · hearing first sounds and matching them to letters

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Say the word out loud.
  2. Listen to the very first sound.
  3. 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 New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 2 of 16 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.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which letter does it start with?

    🐵_onkey
    • m
    • d
    • w

  2. Question 2

    Which one starts with “s”?

    • ☀️sun
    • ⌚watch
    • 🔒lock

  3. Question 3

    Which one starts with “d”?

    • 🧼soap
    • 🐬dolphin
    • 🔒lock

  4. Question 4

    Which one starts with “h”?

    • 🍕pizza
    • 🪟window
    • 🏠house

  5. Question 5

    Which one starts with “g”?

    • 🐐goat
    • 🤖robot
    • 🍕pizza

  6. Question 6

    Which letter does it start with?

    🪟_indow
    • m
    • w
    • p

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