If you’ve ever sat down with a small group of students to teach phonics, you already know the struggle… every child is at a different place. Some are still working on letter recognition, others are confidently identifying beginning sounds, and a few are ready for blends and word families. Although we know that kids learn at different rates, and expect it, meeting all of those needs at once can feel overwhelming. Good news is – it doesn’t have to be. Today, we’re talking about my favorite way to differentiate phonics instruction with small group games!
Why Small Group Games Work for Differentiation
Small group games make differentiation not only possible but fun. Games give you a structure that’s flexible and easy to adapt, while also keeping kids engaged. Instead of creating entirely separate lessons for each level, you can swap the skill focus while using the same game format. This allows you to meet students where they are without doubling or tripling your prep time. Small group games are powerful for many reasons. Here are a few:
- They adapt to multiple levels: The same game structure can be used with letters, sounds, or even word families.
- They build confidence: Games feel less intimidating and more fun than worksheets and give struggling learners a low-stress way to practice.
- They encourage repetition: Students naturally want to play again, which means more practice without the groans.
- They keep kids engaged: While you’re listening closely for mastery, your students are actually having fun. Games make learning new phonics skills fun and easy!
These are just some of the reasons why I love using my Heggerty Small Group Game Packs and Cover It Up Warm-Up Games. They’re both packed with options that make differentiation easy, not to mention way more fun!
Differentiate Phonics Lessons with Small Group Games
Let’s start with my favorite, the Heggerty Small Group Game Packs. These are filled with activities for all stages of phonemic awareness and phonics development. You can pull the same type of activity, like a matching or cover-up game, and change the skill focus depending on your group. This makes it easy to differentiate while keeping the structure consistent. Here’s how it might look in action with two important skills: letter identification and beginning sounds.
Alphabet ID
For students who are still learning their letters, small group games can focus on identifying uppercase and lowercase letters. One of my favorite activities for small groups in this pack is “Roll and Read”. Students roll a die cube, then find the match for it on their mat. They read the letters in order from left to right, naming each one as they go.
Beginning Sounds
Once students know most of their letters, you can shift the game to focus on beginning sounds. Instead of naming the letter, students will provide the letter’s sound. The same activity is also available in the beginning sounds pack, which means that students will already be familiar with how to play. The beauty of these games is that each group can work at the level they need most while you, as the teacher, keep the structure the same. That consistency makes classroom management easier for you and helps students quickly grasp how to play, no matter what skill they’re practicing.
Use a Wide Variety of Games
And don’t worry, friend, Roll and Read isn’t the only game option in these phonics small group game sets. Each of the phonics packs includes approximately 16 different games, and many of them follow the same structure. As you move through each one, students begin to get more familiar with how to play, making it even easier to differentiate phonics instruction seamlessly! Here are just some of the fun games inside these phonics small group game packs:
- BINGO
- Match It Up
- Fluency Strips
- Roll & Write
- Match & Cover
- Fluency Board Games
- Feed Me and so many more!
To keep things cohesive and easy to track, I love to choose the same game for all of the groups in my classroom on any given day, but ensure that the focus skill for each one matches their level. This makes it really easy to rotate the materials and ensure we’re using all the games in the pack. As a bonus, this makes it super simple for paras or parent helpers to facilitate and assist with small groups, too. They only need to learn how to play one game each day, with just a slight change for each skill. And. . . as a double bonus, that means the entire class learns the game, too. Once the students know how to play, I can easily incorporate the games into centers for students to play independently.
Easily Differentiate Phonics Skills
Aside from the vast array of games to choose from, you’ll have plenty of focus skills too. As I mentioned, each pack in the bundle follows a similar structure, but you’ll be able to work through a new skill each time your students are ready to level up. Here are the skills covered:
- Letter Identification
- Rhyming Words
- Initial Sounds
- Blending
- Segmenting
- Final Sounds
- Middle Sounds
- Substituting Phonemes and more!
I love that these small group games cover so many different skills because as my students are ready to progress, we can easily hop into the next learning pack! This makes it super simple to plan for and differentiate phonics small groups all year long!
Differentiate Phonics Warm-Ups Too!
Differentiation isn’t just for the main lesson! You can do this with warm-up activities to create a perfectly customized learning experience for every small group in your room! One of the easiest ways to do this is by using Cover It Up Games. These are a low-prep, easy-to-use option that includes TONS of skills and allows you to tailor the activity for each group.
When it’s time to rotate groups, and before students arrive at your table, simply lay out the worksheet that aligns with your focus skill of the day. Whether it’s letters, beginning sounds, blends, or word families, you can choose the option you’re working on for each group. As students sit down, they immediately get started identifying and covering the correct answers on their mats. This not only engages them right away but also buys you a valuable minute to get organized, check materials, or listen in as they practice. Best of all, it eliminates the “dead space” that can creep into small group transitions and keeps every student focused on meaningful practice from the very start.
This keeps engagement high, and as a bonus, gives them a quick warm-up for the skill you’ll be working on in your game for the day, too! Talk about a win-win! These Cover It Up pages cover a wide variety of phonics skills, including:
- Letter Recognition
- Beginning Sounds
- Short Vowels
- Digraphs
- Blends
- Long Vowels
No matter where each group is, you’ll have the perfect option to warm up and differentiate for each group depending on their skill level.
Differentiate Like a Pro
Wondering how to bring this all together? The secret to making differentiation feel doable is having everything organized and ready to grab. Try storing your Small Group Games in labeled plastic bags, sorted by both skill level and game type. For example, you might have one baggie labeled “Blends: Matching Game” and another labeled “Rhyming: BINGO.”
For Cover It Up Pages, slip each one into a plastic sleeve and keep them in a binder organized by skill. When it’s time to plan your small groups for the week, flip through, pull the activities you need, and make your copies. To streamline things even more, keep a plastic drawer cart near your small group table where you can place the prepared materials for each day. That way, when your groups rotate in, you’re not scrambling; you’re ready with just the right activity at just the right level. For more tips on how to run small groups, make sure to read this post next. It’s jam-packed with all the practical information you need!
Differentiate Easily with a Streamlined System
At the end of the day, small group instruction doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the Small Group Games Bundle, you’ll have an “endless” supply of hands-on, standards-aligned activities to target every phonics skill. Whether your students are working on letter identification, beginning sounds, blends, or long vowels, you’ll be all set! Pair those with the Cover It Up Warm-Up Pages, and you’ve got the perfect routine to kick off groups smoothly while reinforcing essential skills from the start.
Together, these two bundles streamline your planning, keep students engaged at their exact level, and make differentiation feel simple and sustainable. No more scrambling for ideas or piecing things together last minute, you’ll always be ready with purposeful, engaging activities that meet your learners right where they are. Click the images below to check out the full bundles and snag a copy of each to use in your classroom all year long!
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