Boost Phonics Instruction with These Easy Phonogram Card Routines

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If your phonics block feels a little stale or you’re noticing gaps in decoding and spelling, phonogram cards might be the missing piece.

Phonogram cards give students repeated, structured practice with sound-spelling connections. They’re simple to use, easy to prep, and work for every setting—from whole group to centers.

Let’s walk through practical, no-fluff routines you can start using today.

Why Phonogram Cards Work

Students need to see and use graphemes regularly to truly internalize them. It’s not enough to introduce a sound once and move on. Phonogram cards give that essential repeated exposure—but in quick, focused ways.

When students practice phoneme-grapheme connections daily, you’ll see:

• Faster recognition of spelling patterns
• Improved decoding and spelling
• Better retention of high-frequency words
• Fewer guessing habits

And best of all—these routines take just a few minutes a day.

Whole Group: Quick Daily Warm-Up

This is my go-to routine to start any phonics lesson.

Try this:

1. Choose 3-5 phonograms from your current focus and 2-3 review cards.
2. Flash one card at a time.
3. Students say the sound, then a key word, then the spelling.

For example:
📣 You flash “ew”
👧 Students say: /oo/ – chew – ew

It’s simple, multisensory, and gets their brains warmed up before moving into blending, spelling, or reading.

Visual drills like this are common and many programs, like UFLI, do these drills daily with the letter name and sound only. Check out the example in the video below to see it in action.

Small Groups: Explicit Teaching & Targeted Review

Use phonogram cards during your small group lessons to zero in on the sounds your students need most.

Routine idea:

• Start with 3-4 cards related to your focus skill.
• Review the sounds and spellings orally.
• Build 2-3 words with the cards.
• Have students write the words using dictation.

You can also pull in cards from previous lessons for spiral review. One teacher shared that doing this for just 5 minutes helped her students retain vowel teams they used to forget every time.

Centers: Independent or Partner Games

Once students are familiar with the cards, move them into a center.

Game ideas:

• Memory Match: Match sound to spelling or sound to a keyword image.
• Sort It: Sort cards by long and short vowels, or by similar spellings (ai, ay, a_e).
• Build-a-Word: Use phonogram cards to build words on a pocket chart or table. You could also use Elkonin boxes (pictured below) so students can blend and read the words they make.

Keep a ring of laminated cards at the center and rotate the set weekly.

Intervention: Focus on Gaps with Daily Drills

For your students who are still struggling with decoding, daily drills with phonogram cards can make a big difference.

Use this routine:

• Start with 3-5 phonograms they’ve already been introduced to but haven’t mastered.
• Have them say the sound as they trace it on the card with their finger.
• Build a few words using those phonograms.
• Dictate a sentence using at least one of those words.

Repeat the same cards for 3-4 days before switching it up.

If you need a guide, my Phonogram Cards include key visuals and color coding to support students who need more scaffolding.

🛒 Check out the Phonogram Cards here

Real Teacher Wins

“I use these cards every day during my phonics warm-up. My students now automatically associate the spelling patterns with sounds—and their spelling tests reflect that!” – Sarah, 2nd Grade Teacher

“I was struggling to get my small groups to hold onto vowel teams. These phonogram cards made it click for them.” – Emily, Reading Interventionist

Start Simple

If you’re just getting started with phonogram cards, begin by using them as a daily warm-up. Once you’re comfortable, add them into small group lessons or your independent centers.

Even just 5 minutes a day can make a noticeable difference.

Want a done-for-you set?
Grab my Phonogram Cards to save yourself the prep and get started tomorrow.

👉 Shop them here

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