Beginning blends play dough mats give kids a squishy, hands-on way to practice blends and digraphs in your literacy centers! Children roll strips of play dough to form each beginning blend or digraph, or trace the letters with a dry-erase marker.

Blends are two or more consonants that keep their own sounds when read together, such as the bl in block. Digraphs are two letters that make one new sound, such as the sh in ship. Each mat shows large outlined letters surrounded by matching pictures, so children see, say and build the sound all at once.

With these beginning blends play dough mats, you get

• Blends mats and digraphs mats in one set
• Large outlined letters with picture clues on every mat
• Black and white versions that work as play dough mats or worksheets
• Phonics and fine motor practice in one center

Grab the play dough and start building blends!

What's Included

• Pages 4-23: Blends play dough mats
• Pages 24-28: Digraphs play dough mats
• Black and white versions of the mats
• A ph page that asks students to circle words that have ph in them

For the PH digraph, clip art is limited, so words with a medial PH sound are included.

Why Teachers Love It

• Phonics and fine motor in one: Children say the sound while rolling and shaping play dough letters.
• Two ways to use every mat: Form the letters with play dough or trace them with a dry-erase marker.
• Color or black and white: Use the color mats in centers and the black and white versions as play dough mats or worksheets.
• Reusable: Print on card stock, laminate or slip the mats into page protectors for repeat use.
• Picture support on every page: Matching pictures help children connect each blend or digraph with real words.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Beginning blends: Children hear and say the blended sounds at the start of words.
• Digraphs: Children connect digraphs such as ph with the sound they make.
• Letter-sound connections: Pictures on each mat link the letters to words that begin with that sound.
• Letter formation: Rolling and shaping play dough helps children form each letter in the blend or digraph.
• Fine motor skills: Rolling, pinching and shaping play dough build hand strength.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Following directions
• Working independently
• Maintaining attention
• Building confidence

How to Use It

Step 1: Choose the blends and digraphs you want to practice. Print the mats on card stock and laminate them, or place them in page protectors so they are reusable.

Step 2: Name the pictures on the mat together and listen for the beginning sound.

Step 3: Children roll strips of play dough to form the letters of the blend or digraph, or trace the letters with a dry-erase marker.

Materials You'll Need

• Card stock and/or laminating supplies
• Page protectors (an alternative to laminating)
• Play dough
• Dry-erase markers

Easy Differentiation

Children come to phonics with different needs. These mats are easy to adjust so every child can build blends with confidence.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Start with just a few blends at a time
• Offer pre-rolled play dough snakes so children can focus on shaping letters
• Say each picture name together before building
• Trace the letters with a dry-erase marker first

For On-Level Practice

• Form the blend with play dough and name each picture
• Use a few mats each day in literacy centers
• Send black and white versions home for extra practice
• Mix blends and digraphs mats in one center

For an Extra Challenge

• Say another word that begins with the same blend
• Form the letters without looking at a model
• Use the ph page to find and circle words with ph
• Write a word for each picture on the black and white version

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Practice target blends while naming each picture aloud
• Use rolling and shaping for hand strength and fine motor practice
• Use the pictures to build new vocabulary
• Choose a small set of mats and repeat them for confidence
• Give extra processing time and model each step first

Perfect For

• Literacy centers
• Small groups
• Phonics intervention
• Morning tubs
• Speech therapy sessions
• Occupational therapy
• Special education classrooms
• Homeschool

Standards

These beginning blends play dough mats support kindergarten and 1st grade literacy standards in Common Core, the TEKS (ELAR) and the Virginia English SOL (2024):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS RF.1.2.b: Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds, including consonant blends.
• CCSS RF.1.3.a: Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
• CCSS RF.K.3.a: Connect consonants with their most common sounds.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS ELAR K.2.A.ii: Recognize groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound.
• TEKS ELAR 1.2.A.v: Blend spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words, including initial consonant blends.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL English K.FFR.3.G: Decode and encode words with short vowels, including words beginning with a digraph.
• VA SOL English 1.FFR.3.A: Decode and encode short vowel words with blends and digraphs.

Add the Beginning Blends Play Dough Mats to your cart and give your students a hands-on phonics center they will want to visit again and again. Print, laminate and let the rolling and blending begin!

These play dough mats are also included in the Beginning Blends & Digraphs Mega Pack: Check out the Beginning Blends & Digraphs Mega Pack here

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

• On the 'thank you' page after checkout
• In your email
• Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account