Teaching Hard and Soft Sounds of C and G

Shortly after students learn the letters and sounds of the alphabet we teach them that the vowels and several consonants actually have two sounds. The consonants “c” and “g” are two of the letters that make different sounds depending on the letters that follow them in the word. Learning and teaching hard and soft sounds of “c” and “g” can be tricky, but these activities are sure to be a hit!

Soft and Hard G

The most common sound for the “g” is the “hard” sound as in the word “goat”. However, if the “g” is followed by an i, e or y it makes the “soft” /j/ sound as in the word “giraffe”. Word sorting activities are very helpful when introducing a new phonics concept. Using sorting activities, students are able to tell when a certain rule either does and does not apply.

Soft and Hard C

Just as the “g” can make a hard and soft sound depending upon the letters that follow, the “c” is exactly the same way. The “hard c” as in the word “cat” is the most common pronunciation. The “c” makes a soft /s/ sound when it is followed by the letters i, e or y. Again, word sorting activities are perfect for introducing and practicing this phonics concept.

Soft and Hard C and G learning activities

Download the Soft and Hard C and G Sorting Activities and you will receive the templates as well as 69 colorful pictures for sorting.

You can find the Soft and Hard C and G Sorting Activity in my TpT store or through the Make, Take & Teach website.

Soft and Hard C and G word sort

File folder activities are also a good way to teach phonics skills. File folder activities for teaching this phonics concept is also available.

The Hard and Soft Sounds of G Word Sort activity is available in my online Teachers Pay Teachers store or through the Make, Take & Teach website.

The Hard and Soft Sounds of C Word Sort is also available in my TpT store or through the Make, Take & Teach website.

Books for Soft and hard C and G

When teaching phonics and spelling rules, it’s very important the student apply the rules right away in text. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many books available that target this specific skill, but I did find a few. You may want to check out these books on Amazon.