Phonics Unpacked

Free printable · Reception · Phase 2

Free Phase 2 sound mat

All the first sounds your child learns in Reception on one A4 sheet, in the order many schools teach them. Page 2 shows you how to say each one.

Colour PDFBest on a colour printer · A4 · 2 pages · 210 KB Low-ink PDFGreyscale, saves printer ink · A4 · 2 pages · 210 KB

Direct download. No email or sign-up needed.

Page 1 of the sound mat: 36 sound tiles from s to nk, each with a picture

How to use it

Three rules, a few minutes a day

  1. Say the sound, not the name

    Point to a tile and say "sss", not "ess". Letter names come later.

  2. Keep it pure

    "sss", not "suh". An extra "uh" makes blending words much harder.

  3. Follow your school

    Schools use different programmes, so the order and wording may differ slightly. Go with your school.

What you get

Two pages, made for the fridge door

Page 1: the 20 autumn 1 sounds grouped by week, then the 16 autumn 2 sounds, each with a picture and a mark for stretchy or quick sounds
Page 1: the sounds, with a picture for each
Page 2: how to say each sound, a 5-minute routine, first words to blend and the autumn tricky words
Page 2: how to say them, for you
  • How to say every sound, the pure way, with the common slip to avoid.
  • A 5-minute routine: sounds, then blending, then a game or the book-bag book.
  • First words to blend, such as at, sat, pin and dad.
  • Autumn tricky words, such as is, I, the, go and to.

Printing and questions

How should I print it?

Print on A4 at "actual size" or 100% so nothing gets cut off. Slip it into a plastic wallet or laminate it and it'll survive breakfast.

Do I need to give my email?

No. Both versions download straight away and we don't collect any details.

My child's school teaches the sounds in a different order. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Programmes differ a little. Use the mat as a reference and focus on the sounds your child has met at school so far.

Can I share it?

It's free to print for home use. If a friend would like one, please share the link to this page rather than the file, so they always get the latest version.

Read next

How to say the phonics sounds properly

The full guide to pure sounds: every Phase 2 sound, how to say it and the slip to avoid.

Read the guide

Coming 16 November

Phase 2 Home Practice Pack

The next step after the mat: 24 pages of flashcards, blending games and tricky word cards for home.

See what's inside