Classroom · Phonics · CCSS RF.K.1d, RF.K.3a, L.K.1a

worksheets for kindergarten

Every letter from A to Z has its own five-page pack: meet the letter, trace and write it, hear its sound at the start of words, find it in a letter hunt, and an answer key with notes for grown-ups. Each PDF comes in color and in ink-saving black and white.

Alphabet chart

All 26 letters with a picture for each, for the wall or a desk.

Chart(1 page, color)Ink saver (B&W)

Alphabet tracing book

A trace-and-write page for every letter, the chart, and a certificate.

Tracing book(28 pages, color)free by email Ink saver (B&W)

Choose a letter

What is in each letter pack

1. Meet the letterGiant capital and lowercase letters to finger-trace and color, and four pictures that start with the letter.
2. Trace and writeCapital and lowercase rows that fade from tracing to writing alone, then picture words to trace.
3. Beginning soundsCircle the pictures that start with the sound (no labels, so children listen), then write the missing first letter.
4. Letter huntFind and color every capital and lowercase letter in a grid, then count them.
5. Answer key and notesAnswers, how to form both letters, and the letter’s sound in plain words.

Letter A worksheet: meet the letter, with pictures that start with A

How to teach the alphabet

Name, sound, picture. “This is m. It says /m/, as in monkey.” Say all three every time.
Big before small. Trace the giant letter with a finger, in sand or in the air, before using a pencil.
Start at the top. Almost every letter starts at the top. A good habit now saves reversals later.
Listen, don’t read. The beginning-sounds pictures have no labels, so children have to hear the sound.
Keep reviewing. Each new letter, go back to the chart and point to the letters already learned.

Next steps: blend letters into words with the CVC words worksheets, or join them up later with the cursive alphabet.

Common questions

In what order should I teach the letters?

Alphabetical order works, but many phonics programs start with letters that make lots of simple words quickly, such as s, a, t, p, i and n, so children can read words like sat, pin and tap within a few weeks. Each letter page here stands alone, so you can follow any order.

Should children learn capital or lowercase letters first?

Both, side by side. Most of what children read is lowercase, so they need those shapes for reading, while capitals are often easier to write first because they are made of straight lines. Every pack practices the pair together.

Should I teach letter names or letter sounds?

Both, linked to each other: "This is b, and it says /b/, as in ball." The sound is what children use to read and spell, and the name helps them talk about letters. Each pack pairs the letter with pictures that start with its sound.

How long should we spend on each letter?

Letter-of-the-week works well for preschool. In kindergarten, two or three letters a week is common, with plenty of review. The five pages of each pack can be spread across the week.

Can I copy these worksheets for my class?

Yes. The PDFs are free to print and photocopy for classroom and home use, in color or in the black-and-white ink saver. Please link to this page rather than re-uploading the files.