Jolly Phonics Flashcards

Phonics Flashcards: Learn Anywhere, Anytime

These phonics flashcards are designed to make reading practice quick, simple, and effective. Once cut out, laminated and placed on a keyring, they become a portable learning tool you can use at home, in the car, or on the go.There are two types of cards included:

Word Boxes (Decodable Words) – these can be sounded out (e.g. c-a-t → cat)
Tricky Words (Sight Words) – these cannot be fully sounded out and need to be recognised by sight (e.g. the, you, said)

Together, they help children develop both blending skills and word recognition, which are essential for becoming a confident reader.

How the Cards Are Organised

The flashcards are grouped into manageable sets to support step-by-step learning:

6 Tricky Word sets – each set introduces a small group of common tricky words to learn and revisit regularly
18 Word Box sets – these follow the Jolly Phonics progression, building up decodable words as new sounds are taught

Using smaller sets helps children stay focused, build confidence, and experience success as they move through each stage.

Tricky Words (aka Sight Words)

Some words don’t follow phonics rules and can’t be sounded out easily.These are called Tricky Words.For example:

the (the “e” doesn’t say /e/)
you (doesn’t match the sounds exactly)

Children need to:

Recognise these words on sight
Practise them regularly
Learn which part is the “tricky” bit

👉 Tip: Say the word, then point out the tricky part
“This says ‘the’ – the ‘e’ is the tricky part!”

Word Boxes (Decodable Words)

Blending is a key skill in early reading. It’s the ability to push sounds together to read a word.These Word Box cards:

Follow the Jolly Phonics letter sound order
Only include sounds your child has already learned
Build confidence step-by-step

At the beginning, word choices are naturally limited:

With s, a, t → sat, at
Add i → sit, it, its

But as more sounds are introduced, the number of words grows quickly. This allows children to practise reading real words early on, reinforcing their phonics knowledge.

How to Use the Cards

Keep it short, fun, and consistent – little and often works best!Start simple:

Choose 3–5 cards at a time
Say the sounds together
Blend the word (for Word Boxes)
Repeat daily

Build gradually:

Add new cards once your child is confident
Mix old and new cards to reinforce learning
Practise little and often (1–2 minutes is enough!)

Make it interactive:

Let your child hold the cards
Flip through together
Encourage them to “teach you”

How to use:

Print on card (or paper and laminate)
Cut out each card
Hole punch and add to a keyring
Practise little and often

Success Looks Like...

The learner is making great progress when they can:✅ Blend sounds smoothly to read words
✅ Recognise familiar words quickly
✅ Read without sounding out every time
✅ Spot tricky words and remember them
✅ Stay engaged and willing to have a go

Game Ideas Make practice feel like play!

Speedy Read How many cards can your child read in 30 seconds?
Find the Word Lay out 3–5 cards. Say a word – can they find it?
Silly Voice Reading Read words in a robot voice, whisper voice, or monster voice!

Swap & Mix Mix tricky words and decodable words together – can they spot which is which?
Sound Talk Detective You say the sounds (c-a-t)… your child blends and finds the word!
On-the-Go Learning Use the keyring in the car, at the park, or while waiting – perfect for quick practice.