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Visual DiscriminationGamesLevel 1 · Pre-readerEnglish

Matching Animals

R89R119

Matching Animals is a playful, research-informed visual discrimination game designed to strengthen essential pre-reading and language skills through matching illustrations of animals. Using a domino-style matching format, learners visually scan, compare, and match identical animal items, training the brain to notice small yet important visual details. Visual discrimination is a critical pre-reading skill for reading accuracy, attention to detail, and visual processing. It supports accurate visual recognition, reduces common reading errors (such as b/d or p/q confusion), and improves visual memory.

Ideal for young learners, struggling readers, children with learning and developmental delays, and ESL learners building English vocabulary, this low-prep resource transforms foundational skill-building into joyful, confidence-boosting play.

Designed by Remedial Specialist Annemarie Roux and aligned with the Science of Reading, this resource gives every learner the tools to become a confident, capable reader.

What's inside

  • 40 printable animal matching/domino-style cards.
  • Clear, child-friendly animal illustrations.
  • Teacher instructions and usage ideas.
  • Print-and-play digital PDF (instant download).

How to play

1Print and cut out the animal cards.
2Shuffle the cards and distribute them equally among the players.
3Place the first card (indicated with "Start Here" and an arrow) on a flat surface in the middle of the group.
4The player who has the matching card calls out the item ("rabbit") and places it next to its correct match.
5The player who has the next matching card calls out the item and places it in its correct position.
6Continue in this way until all cards have been matched on the table.
7The first player to place all their cards on the table is the winner.
8💡 Encourage learners to name each animal item to support vocabulary development.
9💡 This game can also be played independently by a single learner.

Key benefits

  • Strengthens visual discrimination skills
  • Supports early reading and letter recognition
  • Improves attention to detail and cognitive processing
  • Enhances vocabulary and oral language skills
  • Builds confidence through success-based play
  • Ideal for intervention, remediation, and inclusive classrooms

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