Initial Sound Matching Worksheet – EYFS / KS1 Phonics

This initial sound matching worksheet provides early learners with a simple, engaging way to practise identifying the first sound in words. Children look at each picture and match it to the correct beginning sound, helping them build strong phoneme awareness and early decoding confidence. The clean layout and friendly illustrations make it ideal for young pupils just starting their phonics journey.

The worksheet includes four familiar images—a tent, ant, sun, and pig—each beginning with one of the letters s, a, t, p, the first sounds taught in most systematic synthetic phonics programmes. Children match each object to its initial sound using lines or colour-coding, supporting early blending and segmenting skills.

This resource is perfectly suited for Nursery, Reception (EYFS) and Year 1 learners. Its clear visuals and minimal text also make it highly accessible for SEND and EAL pupils who benefit from low-cognitive-load activities with strong visual cues. It’s great for whole-class phonics sessions, independent practice, morning work, small-group interventions or home learning.

Teachers value this worksheet for its simplicity, strong alignment with the SATP sequence and ability to reinforce foundational phonics knowledge in a fun, manageable format. It also works beautifully printed or assigned digitally on iPads or platforms like Showbie.