AP Aussie Primary Academy

Year 1 · English · Alphabet · Free Printable

Alphabetical Order

Help Year 1 students practise putting words in alphabetical order using the first letter.

AlphabetEnglishAnswer Key Included

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year-1-alphabetical-order Preview
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Learning Intention

Students will put words in alphabetical order by looking at the first letter.

Australian Curriculum

Supports Year 1 English alphabet and early literacy outcomes.

Teacher Notes

Sing the alphabet song first. Start with 3–4 words that begin with different letters.

Skills Practised

  • Alphabetical order
  • Letter recognition
  • First-letter sorting
  • Early dictionary skills

How to Practise Alphabetical Order

Alphabetical order means arranging words according to the order of the letters in the alphabet. In Year 1, children can begin by comparing the first letter of each word.

A Simple Strategy

  1. Say the first letter of each word.
  2. Think about where those letters appear in the alphabet.
  3. Place the word with the earlier letter first.
  4. Read the completed list from beginning to end to check it.

If two words start with the same letter, compare the next letter. For example, cat comes before cup because a comes before u.

Quick Practice

Choose three familiar words and put them in alphabetical order. Then check each first letter against an alphabet strip or classroom display.