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OMG! It’s spooky season and I’m so excited for all of the amazing Halloween goodies this year! I’m kicking it off with this adorable printable activity set. This set is perfect for a little Flisat table setup or you can use the pieces as decor for your Little Boo’s Halloween Party. I’m doing both this year and I’m teaming up with my favorite @CharsJar_s to bring you a spooky little collaboration.
This set was so much fun to design, but it was even more fun to watch Sofie play with.
Printable Classroom: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1066224135
Pencil bows: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewDaintyBowtique
Wooden Pencil: https://www.etsy.com/shop/OakAndCoshop
It’s the perfect way to get your kiddo in the mood for back to school or for your preschooler, perhaps a way to introduce them prior to their first day of school! Dramatic play is so important for kids and Sofie had so much fun learning these classroom concepts. Pretending to write on the chalkboard, practicing her ABCs, learning the alphabet, practicing telling time on the clock and practicing the days of the week were such a blast. She was quite distracted by having the apple on the board. We also used the little cards to practice school subjects. Sofie really liked the gym card because it has all of the balls on it. She kept saying, “Milo’s ball!” We played with this little setup for about two weeks and everyday Sofie would be the teacher teaching me a new subject.
A SIMPLE START TO EARLY READING
Learning the alphabet is only the beginning. This parent-friendly guide walks you through a playful reading journey—from first letter exposure to phonics, sound blending and early reading fluency.
Free printable · Play-based practice · Flexible guidance for ages 2–6
When I first started helping Sofia learn her letters, I assumed I could simply point to each one and say its sound.
Then I reached letters like A, C and G and realized how quickly phonics becomes confusing for a parent who was never taught how to teach it. Which sound comes first? Should I say the letter name too? When do we begin blending sounds into words?
I did not want reading practice to feel like a lesson she had to sit through. I wanted it to feel like the rest of our learning—short, playful and connected to things she already enjoyed.
So I created a simple reference sheet for myself and began practicing one letter sound at a time. We jumped to letters on the floor, built letter shapes, searched for sounds in books and hid cards inside sensory bins.
That small shift made phonics feel manageable for both of us. This guide is designed to give you the same clear starting point.
FREE PARENT REFERENCE
The free GoodnightFox Phonics Cheat Sheet gives you a clear visual reference for the most useful sound to introduce first, plus additional sounds children may encounter later.
You will also receive playful early-literacy ideas and occasional GoodnightFox product updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
WHY PHONICS MATTERS
Phonics helps children understand that written letters and letter combinations represent sounds in spoken words.
As children strengthen this connection, they become better able to hear beginning sounds, blend simple words and attempt unfamiliar words instead of relying only on memorization.
WHY THIS FEELS HARD
Parents are often told to “teach the letter sounds” without being shown which sound to introduce first or how much information a young child actually needs.
You do not need to teach every possible sound at once. Begin with one common, easy-to-hear sound and introduce variations naturally as your child encounters them in books and conversation.
THE GOODNIGHTFOX READING SYSTEM
Children do not move from seeing the alphabet to independently reading books in one leap. Reading develops through connected stages: letter exposure, recognition, phonics, sound blending and increasingly fluent word reading.
The GoodnightFox Reading Journey helps you identify the stage your child is currently exploring and choose a playful next step.
ANIMAL ALPHABET
Approximately ages 1–3
Children begin noticing letters through memorable animal illustrations, familiar words and playful visual associations.
Explore Animal Alphabet Cards →ALPHABET
Approximately ages 3–5
Children learn to recognize, name and match uppercase and lowercase letters.
Explore Alphabet Flashcards →PHONICS
Approximately ages 4–6
Children connect printed letters with their most common spoken sounds.
Explore Letter Sounds Flashcards →CVC WORDS
Approximately ages 4–6
Children combine individual letter sounds to read short words such as cat, dog, sun and pig.
Explore the Reading Bundle →SIGHT WORDS
Approximately ages 4–6
Children build automatic recognition of frequently encountered words while continuing to use phonics to decode unfamiliar words.
Explore the Reading Bundle →Letter pairs such as sh, ch, th and wh help children move beyond one-letter, one-sound patterns.
Hearing shared endings and sound patterns supports phonological awareness and prepares children to recognize word families.
WHERE SHOULD WE BEGIN?
These age ranges and stages are flexible guides—not deadlines. Children may move back and forth between skills or work on several at the same time.
START SMALL
Introduce one primary sound and keep the explanation short.
“This is B. B makes the /b/ sound, like ball.”
Connect the sound to your child’s name, a favorite animal, toy or food.
Trace the letter, build it with dough, hop to it or hide its card in a sensory bin.
Point out the sound naturally in a title, character name or familiar word.
End after a few successful repetitions rather than continuing until your child is frustrated.
LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
The cards are most effective when they become part of a game, sensory invitation, movement activity or conversation—not when a child is asked to sit through an entire stack.
LATER IN THE JOURNEY
Sight-word practice should support phonics rather than replace it. Children can learn to recognize frequently encountered words while still sounding out unfamiliar words and studying how letters work together.
THE COMPLETE HANDS-ON SYSTEM
The free cheat sheet gives you a reference for teaching letter sounds. The physical Reading Flashcards Bundle gives your child coordinated, reusable tools for practicing the skills that come before and after phonics.
A CALMER WAY TO PRACTICE
They do not need to. Hide cards, spread them across the floor, use only two at a time or combine them with movement and sensory play.
Keep the free phonics cheat sheet nearby and begin with the primary sound shown.
Letter recognition is one stage. Continue building sound awareness, blending, rhyme and word-pattern knowledge.
The Reading Bundle supports the skills that come after basic alphabet recognition, including phonics, digraphs, rhyme and sight words.
NOT READY FOR THE BUNDLE?
Download the free reference, practice for a few playful minutes and return to the Reading Journey whenever you are unsure what comes next.
PHONICS FAQ
Many children begin noticing letters and sounds during the preschool years. Follow your child’s interest and keep practice playful and pressure-free.
Children can learn both. The name identifies the letter symbol, while the sound explains how the letter functions inside words.
Begin with a common, easy-to-hear sound. Use the phonics cheat sheet as a practical reference for primary and secondary sounds.
Three to five focused minutes can be plenty for a young child. Stop before the activity becomes frustrating.
No. You can begin with the letters in your child’s name, follow their interests or use a structured progression.
No. Sight words can be practiced alongside phonics, but children still need to learn how letters and sounds work together.
Digraphs are two letters that work together to represent one sound, such as sh, ch and th.
Begin simple blending once your child knows several common letter sounds and can hear individual sounds inside short words.
The primary Reading Flashcards Bundle is a physical product. A separate printable version is also available.
START WHERE YOU ARE
Begin with the free parent reference. Practice for a few playful minutes. When your child is ready for the next stage, use the Reading Bundle to continue building.
Teaching your toddler letter sounds shouldn’t feel overwhelming… but for many parents, it does.
If you’ve ever sat down to teach the alphabet and thought:
“Why does letter A make so many sounds?”
“What do I actually teach first?”
“Am I doing this right?”
You’re not alone — and that’s exactly why I created a super simple Phonics Cheat Sheet that breaks everything down in a clear, visual way.
Before you dive in, grab the FREE printable phonics cheat sheet below — it’s the perfect quick-reference guide for teaching letter sounds the stress-free way.
Phonics is the foundation of early reading. When toddlers learn letter sounds, they’re building:
Early decoding skills
Sound awareness (phonemic awareness)
Confidence with letters
The ability to blend sounds later
This is one of the biggest predictors of future reading success — and starting early (in a playful, low-pressure way!) makes all the difference.
Letters don’t just make one sound.
For example:
A → /a/ /ā/ /ah/
C → /k/ /s/
G → /g/ /j/
It’s no wonder parents feel unsure about teaching phonics at home.
That’s why I designed the Phonics Cheat Sheet — it lists every common letter sound in a toddler-friendly format that matches how you’ll teach them in preschool and kindergarten.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep the cheat sheet on your fridge or in your homeschool binder for quick reference during activities.
1. Start with the most common sound
Each letter has multiple sounds, but toddlers should begin with the one they’ll use most often. The free cheat sheet highlights these clearly.
2. Use real objects and sensory play
Examples:
Hide objects that begin with /b/ in a sensory bin
Make letter-sound “scooping” stations
Use playdough to form letters while saying the sound
3. Keep practice short and playful
Think: 3–5 minutes of focused phonics paired with hands-on fun.
4. Repeat sounds often and casually
Point out letter sounds while cooking, driving, reading — the more repeated exposure, the better.
This printable includes:
The most common sound for every letter
Secondary sounds parents often forget
A toddler-friendly layout that builds confidence
Beautiful pastel illustrations that make learning feel fun
A quick-reference tool you can use with ANY activity
If your toddler loves hands-on learning, my Letter Sounds Flashcards are the perfect companion to the cheat sheet. They help toddlers:
Practice sounds through play
Match objects to beginning sounds
Build fine motor skills through sorting, matching, and sensory play
Gain confidence before preschool or kindergarten
Parents tell me all the time how these cards completely transformed their reading routine — making it something their child asks to do.
✨ After downloading the cheat sheet, keep an eye on your inbox.
I’ll send you a few playful phonics activities + an exclusive discount on the physical flashcards.
Here are easy, low-prep ideas that work with the cheat sheet and flashcards:
Sensory sound hunt — hide cards or objects that begin with the same sound in a sensory bin
Letter sorting tray — match picture cards to their beginning letter
Sound hop — place letters on the floor and let your toddler hop to the sound you call
Mini sound stations — set up 3 baskets labeled with letters and let your toddler sort objects
These are the kinds of activities that make learning feel like PLAY — and get those little neurons firing.
Download your free cheat sheet below and start feeling confident teaching letter sounds — in minutes.
Two The Moon Girly Space Themed Rocket Ship Birthday Party
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Have I mentioned that I love Halloween!? Okay so Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday and I’m loving all of the black and white monochrome vibes now so I had to try these little ghost pancakes. These were such a simple DIY toddler activity — I woke up this morning and decided on a whim to do it. I was able to prep it and make them all before Sofie’s morning hanger kicked in!
These little ghost pancakes were so simple to make and you don’t even need to have a steady hand to do it. I just grabbed a simple pancake recipe, plopped them on the griddle at 250, added some googley eyes and plastic spiders and bam! Spooky pancakes perfect for the holiday season.
Pancake Recipe
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Butter Melted
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Egg
3 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
OMG! It’s spooky season and I’m so excited for all of the amazing Halloween goodies this year! I’m kicking it off with this adorable printable activity set. This set is perfect for a little Flisat table setup or you can use the pieces as decor for your Little Boo’s Halloween Party. I’m doing both this year and I’m teaming up with my favorite @CharsJar_s to bring you a spooky little collaboration.
Okay so I got these amazing rainbow GNF colored blocks from Chars Jars Shop (use code GNF10 to save) and I’m absolutely in love. Well, I should say that Sofie is in love. So I was hoping to practice stacking, color matching, building, and sorting, but Sofie has decided that throwing them around the room the way to go! Luckily they’re super durable. I’ve been trying to have her practice with the Alphabet Placemat here by pairing colors to the letters — we’re not quite there yet. But in any case, I hope you’ve had a chance to snag one of these educational placemats from the shop. They’re so versatile! We’ve used them for learning, play dough, and during meal time. The different shapes and colors always keep Sofie entertained when it’s taking time to get dinner on the table.
This set was so much fun to design, but it was even more fun to watch Sofie play with.
Printable Classroom: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1066224135
Pencil bows: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewDaintyBowtique
Wooden Pencil: https://www.etsy.com/shop/OakAndCoshop
It’s the perfect way to get your kiddo in the mood for back to school or for your preschooler, perhaps a way to introduce them prior to their first day of school! Dramatic play is so important for kids and Sofie had so much fun learning these classroom concepts. Pretending to write on the chalkboard, practicing her ABCs, learning the alphabet, practicing telling time on the clock and practicing the days of the week were such a blast. She was quite distracted by having the apple on the board. We also used the little cards to practice school subjects. Sofie really liked the gym card because it has all of the balls on it. She kept saying, “Milo’s ball!” We played with this little setup for about two weeks and everyday Sofie would be the teacher teaching me a new subject.
I’m working on an epic Back to School drop this year because I love love love all things back to school! I can’t wait to share all of the details, but first us is this awesome School Supplies Flashcard set. This flashcard set includes:
Notebook
Lunchbox
Scissors
Crayons
Globe
Paints
Pencil
Backpack
Books
Glue
It’s the perfect way to get your kiddo in the mood for back to school or for your preschooler, perhaps a way to introduce them prior to their first day of school! This flash card set is a great way to expose them to fun kinder-concepts as they get used to the idea of going back to school. Pictured here with these adorable wood toys from @oak.and.co Oak And Co Shop
This flash card set will be available on it’s own and as part of the BTS bundles dropping August 6-8th.
I absolutely love summer and now that we live in a little neighborhood, I finally have the opportunity to show Sofie what a real lemonade stand is all about. Not only is dramatic play great for learning life skills and practicing scenarios and situations, it’s also great for learning new words and phrases that toddlers otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to. This printable lemonade stand set is now available on the shop so that you can try it too!
Pouring
Counting money
Writing
Customer service
Inventory management
Supply and demand
Marketing
Temperature (hot, cold, melting)
“How much does this cost?”
“Here’s your change.”
“Would you like more?”
“Keep the change.”
“Have a nice day!”
“Thanks for stopping by.”
“How are you today?”
Looking to snag this awesome set? Download the PDF by either signing up for the GoodnightFox Newsletter or Download from Etsy for $1.00.
Have a shop that specializes in baby gifts? I'd love to feature your shop and products in one of my weekly roundups. Email me at goodnightfoxstudio@gmail.com.
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