Singing songs is a phonics activity that works for older students. Older students can sing traditional songs, such as "Wheels on the Bus" or "Old MacDonald," while reading the lyrics at the same time. By singing the words, older students will practice reading and find the relationship between the sounds and the written language. English as a second language students can also sing to popular tunes from the radio or CDs, while reading the lyrics.
Online phonics games are well suited for older students. They can work at their own pace and customize their games to their specific needs. One website called Fun Fonix offers a memory game and e-books for all ages. Another website, Sadlier-Oxford, divides up their phonics games into different age groups. One game for fifth- and sixth-graders asks students to unscramble words. All of these games would also work for ESL students.
You can utilize games such as bingo as a phonics activity for older students. New vocabulary words or Dolch sight words, which are common words that do not follow regular phonics rules, are placed on 5-by-5-inch gridded cards. The teacher randomly chooses a word and students mark off their cards. The first player to get five words in a line wins. Students can play with new cards as they learn more words.
Older students can work on phonics crafts to help them improve their reading and writing. One craft would be for students to make their own flashcards. Use 3-by-5-inch index cards. Have the students write different consonants and vowels with their accompanying pictures. As the students progress, they can work on flashcards with rhyming words and different sound combinations such as ch, sh, and th. Provide students with colorful markers and crayons.