Phonics and spelling by grade

The Common Core reading standards set out what a class works on in Kindergarten and Grade 1, and most states follow them or a close relative. Pick your child's grade to see what it covers and which games match it.

• Kindergarten ages 5–6
  Teaches phonics, blending sounds into around 200 simple words.
• Grade 1 ages 6–7
  Teaches phonics, then introduces the first spelling endings.
• Grade 2 ages 7–8
  Teaches new prefixes and endings, building on Grade 1's phonics.

There is no single national spelling list in the US, so the later grades describe a typical sequence rather than one national document.

Looking for UK school years? See phonics and spelling by school year.

Where the words themselves come from, and what keeps an unsuitable one out: how the words are chosen.