Orchard Toys Match and Spell is a lovely first reading and spelling game, and once a child has mastered single letter sounds and short words, Match and Spell Next Steps is a natural way to keep the learning going. It moves things on to more advanced reading and spelling using sounds and blends, so it suits children who are ready for a bit more of a challenge.
The set is built around 18 double-sided word boards. On one side you can see the letters and the sound buttons, and on the other side just the sound buttons show, so a child can either match the letters or work out the missing sounds from memory. Single dots stand for single letters, while a long line shows a digraph or trigraph, where two or three letters join to make one sound.
There are 78 cards in the pack, including some spare letter cards. Each single sound has a dot underneath, which is a clever touch, as it helps with letter placement and cuts down on the usual confusion between letters like d, b, and p. Digraphs and trigraphs have a long line underneath to show that the letters work together as one sound.
Two ways to play
The first game is all about sounding out, matching, and reading. You lay the word cards out face up and collect the letters in the order the word is spelt, building each word on its board. The second game turns the word board over so only the sound buttons show, and children identify the missing sounds themselves. This is a nice step up, as it asks them to remember and apply what they know rather than simply match.
What is nice about a game like this is that children often invent their own ways to play too, laying out the cards, sorting the letters, or racing to build a word. It grows with them, and the self-checking design means they can have a go independently without needing an adult to correct every step.
Who it is for
Match and Spell Next Steps works well for children who are already confident with single sounds and are starting to meet digraphs and trigraphs, roughly ages 4 to 6. It is a gentle, hands-on way to build reading and spelling confidence. For more phonics fun, take a look at this robot digraph scratch activity, or for a quieter session try these coloring pages for boys.