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best games for phonics & science of reading games for centers

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Science of Reading Centers Literacy Games

Unlock the fun of Learning with

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The Power of Playful Word Work
Deeper Engagement.
Stronger Readers.

Here's why the game works:

Students say the “splash” sound, blend the sounds to read the word, and create a silly sentence - deepening their understanding of vocabulary, syntax, and morphology. Decks (25 in all) are all played the same way, and move from simple to advanced spellings.

But it's the STRATEGY that makes it irresistible!

  • It’s the WILD cards.

  • The MISS YOUR TURN moments.

  • The fun.

  • The friendly competition.

  • And of course… the WIN!

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Perfect for Science of Reading Centers!

  • Beyond just Decoding: Your students will not only master decoding, but also make deep connections between sounds, spellings, and meanings—all within one seamless activity. It’s decoding and comprehension in one.

  • Engagement that Lasts: Say goodbye to boredom and distractions. Students LOVE these games, and so will you—no prep, no hassle, just results. Same instructions = fewer interruptions, more learning.

  • Perfect for ALL Learners: Designed for both special education and general classroom settings, Sound Readers Crazy Cards meet every child where they are, supporting differentiated instruction with ease.

  • Built-In Practice - Zero Prep: Because teachers deserve a break too! Bring structured literacy to life without any extra work. These games support your curriculum while keeping students excited and motivated.

The Sound Readers® Crazy Cards Series:
A Fun, Strategic Path to Decoding & Spelling Mastery
From basic short vowels to advanced vowel teams and suffixes

crazy shorts for starters

Crazy Shorts 

FOR STARTERS 

Starting with the basics, these 5 decks are the perfect phonics card games to help children learning to read cvc words, and other short vowel words (with digraphs, FLSZ, -ck, -ng/-nk). This fun, fast-paced game is a spin on Crazy 8s, but with a reading twist—complete with WILD cards and MISS YOUR TURN cards to keep the excitement going! Available ready-made, or in a printable 'make your own' format.

Ideal for any beginning  or struggling reader.

crazy shorts with blends

Crazy Shorts 

WITH BLENDS

Take your students' skills to the next level with this next set of 5 phonics card game decks designed to help readers master initial & end blends (ccvc, cvcc). Perfect for:

  • reinforcing short vowel sounds

  • reducing common confusions.

  • making mixed ability group word work easier

  • addressing needs of dyslexic, ADHD, and even adult learners .

  • small groups, literacy centers, peer partners

 

*Buy ready-made, or in printable format!

These games are perfect for Science of Reading games and Science of Reading activities for centers.

These games are perfect for Science of Reading games and Science of Reading activities for centers.

Crazy Shorts Phonics Card Games
Crazy Longs Phonics Card Games
Crazy Mores Phonics Card Games

Original Crazy Shorts Words in this set are different than in Set #1 & #2, and focus on one short vowel sound per deck. Preschool to 3rd grade students (or any struggling reader) can read the words by reading the 'splash' sound - which is a word family - then sounding out the word and making up a CRAZY sentence to build oral language (which is also the part that gets them belly-laughing, and having fun!).

Crazy Longs

Take word work to the next level with Crazy Longs! This set focuses on all the different ways to spell the long vowel sounds—one deck per vowel—making it the perfect resource for mastering long vowels in a fun and interactive way.

Beloved by Dr. Marnie Ginsberg (Reading Simplified), Crazy Longs is her favorite game to teach long vowels.

Crazy Mores

Take word work mastery even further with Crazy Mores, the game that teaches advanced spelling patterns (ways to spell the sounds /oo/, /er/, ou/ow, oi/oy, au/aw, etc), and suffixes (ture, tion, etc.), and more! Designed to help students tackle the most challenging spelling patterns in English, Crazy Mores keeps the same fun gameplay that your students love—just with more complex skills to master.

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both starters and blends sets
Crazy Shorts Longs Mores Phonics Card Games
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Available in Printable format too - just Download, Print, Cut, & Play!

Each deck is 7 pages double-sided - so 14 colour pages to print, but if you just print on one side, it would be 7 pages per deck. There are 25 decks in all.

Perfect for Science of Reading Centers!

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How to Play Crazy Cards

Crazy Shorts FOR STARTERS

Deck #1: cvc words Demo

Crazy Longs 

Deck #1: "Long a Words" Demo

Perfect for Science of Reading Centers!

  • Click Here for Crazy Shorts FOR STARTERS Deck #2 "Digraphs" Demo
  • Click Here for Crazy Shorts FOR STARTERS Deck #3 "Floss Words" Demo
  • Click Here for "Doubling Rule" words Demo
  • Click Here for Crazy Longs Deck #2: LONG "e" Demo
  • Click Here for "Crazy Mores Deck #5" (25th deck) "Suffix Words" Demo

Perfect for Science of Reading Centers!

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"I have been using these cards forever! Kids enjoy the game and don't even realize they're getting phonics learning to stick!”
Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, Reading Simplified

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These games are perfect for Science of Reading games and Science of Reading activities for centers.

Perfect for Science of Reading Centers!

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