Alphabet Task Cards - nonsense words

This set of Nonsense words task cards uses words taken from the Kindergarten DIBELS assessment. There are 40 nonsense words and each word has sound buttons and a directional arrow. One set has the consonants blue and vowels red, which can be very helpful for students struggling to distinguish short vowel sounds and the difference between consonants and vowels. A set of magnetic letters with blue consonants and red vowels could also be used with these cards, so the students can also physically build the word. A black and white set is also included.

Students can use the cards to practise sounding out and blending words. They could also have a mini whiteboard with them, so they sound it out, read the word and then write the word.

Another option with these cards is to turn it into a game of ‘sound smash’. Playdough could be used for the ‘sound buttons’ so the students can squash each button as they make the sounds. Students struggling with decoding skills can find the added sensory element helpful.