Soft C & Soft G Phonics Booklets | Montessori Science of Reading Revision

Can your child recognise soft c and soft g words during a lesson—but still need extra practice reading, writing and remembering them independently?

Words such as city, cent, gem and giant can be confusing because the letters c and g do not always make their usual hard sounds.

These printable Soft C & Soft G Phonics Booklets give children focused revision through reading, writing, drawing and picture-supported word work.

Rather than simply rereading a list of words, children interact with each target word in different ways: they can copy it, write it from a picture clue, or read the word and draw its meaning.

This brings together phonics, spelling, handwriting, vocabulary and comprehension in a simple, low-prep booklet format.

Designed for Montessori classrooms, Science of Reading-aligned phonics instruction, structured literacy, intervention and homeschool learning, these booklets provide purposeful follow-up practice after children have been introduced to soft c and soft g patterns.

📚 What's Included?

This printable soft c and soft g phonics resource includes:

• 11 soft C words
• 11 soft G words
• 3 activity versions for soft c
• 3 activity versions for soft g
• Flexible printable booklet pages
• Picture-supported word work
• Writing prompts

For each target pattern, children can practise through three different activity formats:

• Copy the word and colour the picture
• Draw a picture to match the word
• Write the word that matches the picture

This gives children repeated exposure to the same phonics pattern through decoding, encoding and meaning.

Why Can Soft C and Soft G Be Tricky?

Children often first learn:

• c as in cat
• g as in gum

Then they meet words such as:

• city
• cent
• gem
• giant

Now the same letters appear to make different sounds.

Without explicit teaching and repeated practice, children may begin guessing or memorising individual words instead of noticing the underlying pattern.

These booklets help children revisit those patterns in a focused, manageable way.

From Recognising the Pattern to Using It Independently

A child may correctly identify a soft c or soft g word during a teacher-led lesson and still hesitate when reading or spelling the same pattern alone.

These booklets support the progression:

recognise the soft sound → read the word → connect it with a picture → write or represent the word → revisit the pattern independently.

This helps move the child from initial recognition towards more confident application.

Why Use Three Different Activity Formats?

Children do not all need the same level of support.

The three booklet formats allow the same phonics pattern to be revisited in different ways.

1. Copy the Word and Colour the Picture

This version gives the most support.

The child sees the written word, reads it, copies it and connects it with the accompanying picture.

This can support:

• Word recognition
• Handwriting
• Accurate letter sequencing
• Visual familiarity with soft c and soft g words

2. Draw a Picture to Match the Word

This version asks the child to read the word and demonstrate understanding through drawing.

It helps answer an important question:

Did the child actually understand the word they read?

This brings together phonics and comprehension.

3. Write the Word That Matches the Picture

This version increases the spelling challenge.

The child looks at the picture, identifies the word and writes it independently.

They need to:

• Say the word aloud
• Recall the correct soft c or soft g pattern
• Represent the sounds in writing
• Check that the completed word makes sense

This helps move children from decoding into encoding.

From Reading Into Spelling

Reading a soft c or soft g word correctly does not automatically mean a child can spell it independently.

The booklet formats support both directions of literacy learning:

print → sound → meaning

and

meaning → sound → spelling.

This gives children opportunities to practise both decoding and encoding.

Why Repeated Revision Matters

Children often need more than one exposure to a new spelling pattern.

Repeated, varied practice helps them:

• Recognise the pattern more quickly
• Recall the sound more confidently
• Connect reading with spelling
• Reduce reliance on guessing
• Build stronger orthographic familiarity

Because the same words can be revisited in different formats, children are not simply repeating the exact same task each time.

Why Picture Support Helps

Pictures give children access to meaning while allowing the phonics pattern to remain the main focus.

Depending on the activity, the child may:

• Read a word and connect it with a picture
• Look at a picture and retrieve the spoken word
• Use meaning to support spelling
• Show comprehension through drawing

This helps bring phonics and vocabulary together.

What Skills Does This Resource Support?

Children will practise:

• Reading soft c words
• Reading soft g words
• Recognising hard and soft consonant patterns
• Decoding
• Encoding and spelling
• Handwriting
• Vocabulary development
• Connecting print with meaning
• Reading comprehension
• Orthographic pattern recognition
• Independent work habits

A Useful Follow-Up After Explicit Teaching

These booklets work particularly well after children have already been introduced to soft c and soft g.

They may have practised:

• Comparing hard and soft c
• Comparing hard and soft g
• Sorting words by sound
• Noticing the letters that follow c or g

The booklet work then provides a practical next step:

review the pattern → read the word → write or represent it → connect it with meaning.

More Than a Revision Worksheet

The goal is not simply to copy a list of words.

The deeper learning progression is:

recognise the soft c or soft g pattern → decode the word → understand its meaning → write or represent it independently.

That makes these booklets a useful bridge between explicit phonics teaching and more confident reading and spelling.

Easy to Differentiate

You do not need to print every page for every child.

You can select:

• Only soft c words
• Only soft g words
• One activity format
• A smaller selection of target words
• The level of support that best suits the learner

This makes the resource useful in mixed-age Montessori classrooms, intervention settings and homeschool learning.

🌿 Perfect For

• Montessori language shelves
• Science of Reading-aligned phonics instruction
• Structured literacy lessons
• Soft c and soft g revision
• Advanced phonics
• Literacy centres
• Small-group reinforcement
• Targeted reading intervention
• Independent shelf work
• Handwriting practice
• Spelling practice
• At-home and homeschool learning

Help Children Move From Recognising Soft C and G to Using Them Confidently

Soft c and soft g can initially feel unpredictable.

Repeated, structured revision helps children become more familiar with these patterns across reading, spelling and meaning.

The learning progression is:

recognise the pattern → read the word → connect it with meaning → write or represent it → build greater independence.

That makes these booklets a practical follow-up after explicit phonics instruction.

Created by Lisa, a Montessori-trained teacher, NZ registered teacher, school principal and former homeschooler. My resources are designed with real learners in mind—including neurodivergent children—and focus on practical, affordable, low-prep materials that support independence.