Support pupils as they learn the ‘r’ grapheme and /r/ phoneme with our r phonics resources for Reception. Explore worksheets, games and practical activities designed to develop grapheme recognition, accurate letter formation and confidence using ‘r’ when reading and spelling simple words.
Choose resources for teaching ‘r’ during Phase 2 phonics, consolidating the grapheme or providing extra practice with blending and segmenting. Browse our full collection of Phase 2 phonics resources, or visit our main phonics resources page for activities and teaching materials across Phases 1 to 5.
In Phase 2 phonics, pupils learn that the grapheme ‘r’ represents the /r/ phoneme, as heard at the beginning of words such as rat, red and run. They learn to recognise the grapheme, recall its corresponding phoneme and identify /r/ when listening to spoken words.
When modelling /r/, it is important to say the phoneme clearly without adding an extra vowel sound. This supports pupils when they blend phonemes together to read unfamiliar words and when they segment spoken words for spelling.
Our r phonics resources provide different ways for pupils to encounter and apply the grapheme–phoneme correspondence. Activities can help pupils to:
Use the resources as part of daily phonics teaching, in adult-led groups, for independent practice or to revisit ‘r’ with pupils who need further consolidation. Activities can be used alongside your school’s chosen systematic synthetic phonics programme.
By the time ‘r’ is introduced, pupils can combine it with a growing number of known graphemes to read simple words such as rat, rip, run and red. Word-building activities and phoneme frames encourage pupils to identify each grapheme and blend the corresponding phonemes from left to right.
Pupils can also practise segmenting words containing /r/ for spelling. Saying a word slowly, identifying the individual phonemes and choosing the appropriate graphemes helps pupils understand how their growing phonics knowledge can be applied when writing.
Letter formation can be practised alongside reading and spelling activities. Tracing, guided writing, fine motor tasks and multisensory activities help pupils become familiar with the movement needed to form lowercase ‘r’ and gradually develop greater independence when writing it.
Continue through the early phonics teaching sequence with our complete collection of Phase 2 phonics resources. For worksheets, games, lesson presentations and practical activities covering Phases 1 to 5, visit our main phonics resources page.
In Phase 2, pupils learn ‘r’ as the grapheme representing the /r/ phoneme heard at the beginning of words such as rat, red and run.
Once the relevant graphemes have been taught, pupils can use their phonics knowledge to blend simple words such as rat, rip, run and red. Practice should focus on words containing grapheme–phoneme correspondences pupils already know.
Pupils can practise ‘r’ through grapheme-recognition games, phoneme listening activities, letter formation, word building, blending and segmenting. Revisiting the grapheme in short, regular sessions helps pupils develop secure recall and apply it more confidently.
