Word families are groups of words ending with the same sound. We do a lot of work on these with children from Senior Infants up, to help with their spelling and word recognition. Blending is the combining of sounds to read words. We work on this skill from Senior Infants on, to help the children to read unknown words. Here are some links for games to play at home with your child.

Word Family Sort 

Odd One Out 

Word Blender Game – BBC.

Blending Bowl – this is an American site, so the sounds might be slightly different.

Blending Dragon – recognising real and made-up words.

Diagraphs – idenfity the sound from the end of the word.

Word Machine – match the word to the picture

Dragons’ Den – recognising real and made-up words.

Crickweb – the WordWheel games help with blending.

The Quiet Machine – an American site, which asks the children to recognise the beginning sound.

The WhirlyWord Machine – a BBC site which uses word endings to make new words.

Starfall – click on the word endings under “Play” to play the games. An American site but the children love it.

Construct a Word – combine initial sounds and word endings to make new words.

Cluster Buster – click on the initial sound

Rhyming Rockets – shoot the rhyming word.

Digby Mole’s Rhyming Game – find the rhyming word.

Rhyming River – find the rhyming word.

Rhyming Reggie – help Reggie Rhino find the rhyme

Mrs Hubbard – Mrs Hubbard has created lots of printable word family books, which you can read with your child.