Beginning sounds alphabet sliders make letter learning a hands-on phonics activity! Children slide through five pictures for each letter, naming each picture and listening for its beginning sound.

These Alphabet Sliders for Beginning Sounds combine movement, fine motor practice and phonemic awareness (hearing the individual sounds in spoken words). Preschool, pre-K and kindergarten learners say the letter, name each picture and connect it to the beginning sound, building vocabulary along the way. Whether you teach in a classroom or at home, these low-prep sliders are ready for literacy centers, small groups and one-on-one practice.

With these alphabet sliders, you get

• A slider mat for every letter from A-Z
• Five pictures per letter for beginning sound practice
• Color and blackline versions to fit your printing needs
• A hands-on activity that keeps little hands busy

Print, laminate and slide your way through the alphabet!

What's Included

• 26 full-page Alphabet Slider Mats (A-Z)
• 5 picture cards per letter for beginning sound identification
• Color and blackline versions
• Simple prep instructions to get you started quickly

Why Teachers Love It

• Hands-on letter practice: Sliding the picture strip gives children something to do with their hands while they think about sounds.
• Five pictures per letter: Children hear the same beginning sound in several words, which helps the letter-sound connection stick.
• Color or blackline: Print in color for centers or use the blackline version to save ink.
• Low prep: Print, laminate and cut. The sliders are then ready to use again and again.
• Flexible: Use one letter at a time with your weekly letter or set out several letters for review.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Letter recognition: Children name uppercase and lowercase letters on each slider.
• Beginning sounds: Children name each picture and identify its beginning sound.
• Phonemic awareness: Listening for the first sound in each word builds early reading skills.
• Letter-sound correspondence: Children connect each letter with the sound it makes.
• Vocabulary: Five pictures per letter introduce and review everyday words.
• Fine motor skills: Sliding, gripping and moving the picture strips builds hand control.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Following directions
• Maintaining attention
• Communicating choices
• Working independently
• Building confidence during group participation

How to Use It

Step 1: Print and laminate the base and picture strips. Cut the slits and tabs as directed.

Step 2: Insert the slider so that one picture shows at a time.

Step 3: Have children say the letter, trace it and name the beginning sound for each picture as they slide.

Easy Differentiation

Every child learns letters and sounds at a different pace. These ideas make the sliders easy to adjust.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Start with the letters in your child's name or the letter of the week
• Say each picture name together and stretch out the first sound
• Work on one slider at a time with an adult

For On-Level Practice

• Have children name the letter, its sound and all five pictures
• Rotate new letters into literacy centers each week
• Pair children up to take turns sliding and naming

For an Extra Challenge

• Ask children to name another word with the same beginning sound
• Mix several sliders and have children name the letter for each picture
• Have children trace the letter and write it on their own

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Use the pictures to build vocabulary and practice target sounds
• Let children point to a picture when speaking is hard
• Use the sliders for fine motor practice during OT sessions
• Give extra processing time and model each step first

Perfect For

• Literacy centers
• Small group instruction
• Letter of the week
• Morning work
• Early intervention
• Special education support
• Speech therapy sessions
• Homeschool phonics lessons

Standards

These alphabet sliders support the 2022 Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (2021), plus kindergarten literacy standards in Common Core, the TEKS (ELAR, adopted 2017) and the Virginia English SOL (2024):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS RF.K.1.d: Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
• CCSS RF.K.2.d: Isolate and say the first sound in simple spoken words.
• CCSS RF.K.3.a: Connect consonants with their most common sounds.

Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines

• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.III.C.1: Recognize and name letters on each slider.
• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.III.C.2: Recognize letter-sound correspondences by naming pictures that begin with each letter.
• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.IX.B.2: Show growing control in tasks that need eye-hand coordination, such as sliding the picture strips.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS ELAR K.2.B.i: Identify and match the common sounds that letters represent.

Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards

• Virginia ELDS CLLD2.3: Notice that spoken words are made of smaller sounds, starting with the first sound.
• Virginia ELDS CLLD2.4: Learn how letters work by connecting pictures to beginning letters.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL English K.FFR.2.C: Isolate the initial sound in spoken words.

Add the Beginning Sounds Alphabet Sliders to your cart and make letter sounds stick with a hands-on activity your children will ask to use again and again!

These sliders are also included in the Alphabet No-Prep Printables and Centers Bundle: Check out the Alphabet No-Prep Printables and Centers Bundle 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

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