Say A! When children grasp phonics—the sounds created by letter combinations—they’re on their way to mastering reading. And the more fun they have as they learn, the faster their skills will grow and the more fully they’ll absorb the information. That’s why these word searches turn learning letters into a game. Each puzzle presents just one letter or sound, like "baby" and "plate" for LONG A; "city" and "dance" for SOFT C; and "jab," "jam," and "jelly" for J words. There’s only a small list of words to find so children can easily complete the puzzles without becoming bored or losing their concentration. Adorable line drawings, such as a cute alligator painting, a cow going up-up-up in a balloon, and a zebra in a zig-zaggy zippered coat, add to the kid-appeal.