Pre-Reading Skills - I Spy - free picture sheet to download

'I Spy' is an old game which is great for developing children's awareness of beginning sounds. For pre-readers, it's best played with letter sounds rather than letter names, so the child really notice the beginning sounds of the words. 

Visual discrimination of detail is also important for reading - so activities such as jigsaw puzzles and 'find it' (e.g. Where's Wally?) are good practice.

Here is a printable 'I Spy' sheet that you can use to help children develop awareness of visual detail, sounds in words and also 'expressive language' (the ability to express themselves in words) - all important skills in learning to read.

 'I Spy' printable sheet

You can print it and use it in an educational setting - or take it with you when you go out for a day or on a long trip to help keep a child entertained.

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Here are some ideas for how to use the "I Spy" sheet (you can download and print these if you like - click on the links in the headings):

‘I Spy’ game variations –for ‘I Spy’ sheet:

You can use this sheet to play the normal ‘I Spy’ game (“I spy with my little eye something beginning with…”); try using letter sounds rather than letter names (e.g. “Book starts with a ‘b’ sound. Can you find something else that starts with ‘b’?”)

For a challenge, try using ending sounds (e.g. “Book ends with a ‘b’ sound. Can you find something else that ends with ‘b’?”).

Play ‘Vowel I Spy’ - look for items with clear vowel sounds, e.g.

·         short ‘a’ sound - bag, cat, pan, map, bat, ant, arrow, hand

·         short ‘e’ sound – egg, hen, peg, pencil, zebra

·         short ‘i’ sound – lips, ship, chicken, jigzag, scissors

·         short ‘o’ sound – doll, dog, clock, stop

·         short ‘u’ sound – cup, bug, jug, sun, duck, thumb, trumpet, butterfly, umbrella

·         ‘long i’ (igh) sound – bike, knife, sign, spider

·                                 ‘long e’ (ee) sound – tree, TV

·         ‘long oo’ (as in zoo) sound – shoe

·         ‘or’ sound – fork, door, sea horse

·         ‘ar’ sound – jar, star, guitar, heart, glasses

‘ou’ sound – house, mouse, flower

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Questionsfor ‘I Spy’ sheet:

·         How many round things can you see?

·         How many long things can you see?

·         How many animals can you see?

·         Can you see anything that you can eat?

·         How many things can you see that make a noise?

·         Can you see anything that is really black and white?

·         What things can you see that you can play with?

·         How many things can you see that are useful?

·         Which things can you see that you can wear?

·         How many things can you see that can fly?

·         Is there anything there that is really small?

·         How many things can you see that you might find in your house?

·         How many things can you see that are part of nature?

·         How many eyes can you see?

·         Which things could help you to see?

·         Can you see anything that could help you travel?

·         Which pictures do you think are funny?

·         Which are your favourite pictures? Why?

Can you think of more questions to ask?

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