Syllable Sort
Build syllable skills with this satisfying, hands-on Syllable Sort activity that students will want to do again and again.
Sorting activities are powerful learning tools — and this Syllable Sort gives students the chance to actively categorise words by syllable count, reinforcing their phonological awareness in a concrete, engaging way. Students listen, count, and sort, building the essential reading and spelling foundation that underpins their entire literacy journey.
Quick to set up, easy to differentiate, and loved by students at every level.
Why teachers love it:
- Active learning — hands-on sorting builds deeper understanding than worksheet-only approaches
- Phonological awareness practice — targets syllable segmentation, a critical early literacy skill
- Differentiation-friendly — easily adjusted for students who need more or less support
- Reusable resource — laminate cards for long-lasting use across multiple years
Perfect for:
- Prep, Foundation, and Year 1 literacy rotations
- Small group phonological awareness work
- Early intervention and reading support programmes
- Independent literacy centres
- Partner activities and collaborative learning tasks
What's included:
A printable PDF syllable sort activity with sorting cards and category mats for organising words by syllable count.
Sort it out, clap it out, say it out loud — syllable knowledge builds confident readers!
Teaching syllables in Prep?
Our syllable activities guide has ten games and movement ideas to use alongside this resource.
SPECIFICATIONS
Format: PDF, set up for A4 paper. Exactly what's inside is listed above.
Editing: This download is not editable. The PDF is flattened to protect the design and the artists' work we license.
Printing: Open the file in a PDF reader and choose 'Fit to page' or 'Actual size'. Do a test page on plain paper first — card, colour and black-and-white all print well.
Licence: One classroom, one teacher. Please don't share, resell or post the file online; buy an extra licence for each colleague who wants their own copy.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
You'll need a PDF reader on your device — the free Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most reliable. Double-click the downloaded file to open it.
If a page shows on screen but won't print properly, open it in Acrobat Reader, choose Print → Advanced → tick 'Print as image'.
Stuck? Contact us and we'll sort it out.
OUR HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
We want you to love every Mrs Edgar resource. If something isn't right, contact us within 30 days and we'll make it right. Because this is a digital file we can't refund a download that has already been opened, but we will always help you get it working. See our Returns Policy.
FAQS
Where is my download?
Check your inbox (and junk folder) for the email from Mrs Edgar with your link. You can also log in to your account at mrsedgar.com.au and download it from your order.
It came as a ZIP file — how do I open it?
On a Mac, double-click it. On Windows, right-click and choose 'Extract All'. Your PDFs will be inside.
Can I print in colour or black and white?
Yes. Our resources are designed to work both ways; black-and-white versions look great on coloured card.
The download won't start on my school computer.
Some school networks block downloads. Try again at home, or right-click the link and choose 'Save link as'.
