e or ee? Phonic Game

This "e or ee?" Phonic Game is a listening game to help the child hear the "ee" sound in words, as different to the "e" sound, since some children have real difficulty hearing this new sound.

This is a simple oral game for 2 players, designed to develop the ability to hear the sounds as separate in words, without the need to worry about text yet. No reading or spelling is required at this stage — it's purely a hearing game. No die is needed; each player simply builds a tower of coloured beads as they correctly identify the "ee" sound in a word.

These children may have auditory processing difficulties, of which there are growing numbers. With recognition of their needs and timely intervention, many can survive school. Sadly, without it, they may soon fall behind.

If you have a child who cannot easily hear the graphemes in words, find or make a game to help. This is one such game you can use.

Background to why I made this game

One of my pupils has a speech delay. When I introduced him to "ee", he tried to sound out the words by saying "e" instead. It was as if "ee" was a foreign sound to him. So I devised this game to help him hear the "ee" sound in words he already uses frequently. After playing it a few times, he happily sounded out words to read and spell with the "ee" sound.

Who can use the "e or ee?" Phonic Game?

Anyone teaching a child who has difficulty learning to read words with /ee/, trying instead to say /e/. It's especially useful for children with speech delay or auditory processing difficulties who need extra support hearing this distinction before they're ready to decode it in print.

What is included?

1 PDF containing the full game, base boards, picture cards, bead counters, and instructions for making and playing.