Visual Discrimination Worksheets
Practise spotting small differences with odd-one-out, matching and same-or-different puzzles at preschool, kindergarten and grade 1 level.
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What is visual discrimination?
Visual discrimination is the ability to notice how things are alike and how they are different. Children use it when they tell a cat from a dog, a circle from an oval, or the letter b from the letter d. Short, playful puzzles are a simple way to practise looking carefully before children begin to read and write.
Three kinds of puzzle
- Find the different one shows a row of items where one is not like the others. Your child circles the odd one out.
- Find the match shows an item in a blue box and a row of choices. Your child circles the choice that matches it exactly.
- Same or different shows two items. Your child decides whether they are the same or different and circles the answer.
Choose Mixed to put all three kinds on one sheet.
What the items can be
- Pictures: animals, fruits, vehicles, toys and objects. Later levels include pictures that face a different way.
- Shapes: coloured shapes that differ in colour, shape, size or direction.
- Letters: capital letters, look-alike letters such as b and d, and word pairs such as was and saw at grade 1.
- Patterns: short rows of coloured shapes where one position or the order has changed.
Three levels
Preschool uses obvious differences and short rows of three or four items. Kindergarten uses more similar items, such as a circle and an oval or the letters E and F, with four or five items per row. Grade 1 uses tricky differences: a picture turned to face the other way, a shape pointing a different direction, mirror-image letters and words, and patterns where the order has changed, with up to six items per row.
How to use the generator
- Choose the kind of puzzle and the level.
- Tap the types of item you want to include. You can pick more than one.
- Choose how many questions you want (a page holds up to six) and press Generate new worksheet.
- Print or save a PDF. The answer key marks the correct answer in green.
Good to know
Reversing letters such as b and d is very common when children are learning to read and write, and it usually fades with practice. If a child continues to struggle with reversals or you have other worries about their vision or reading, it is worth talking to their teacher or a qualified professional. These worksheets are for practice and are not a screening test.
Frequently asked questions
Which level should I start with?
Start with preschool for children of about three to four, kindergarten for about five and grade 1 for about six. These are rough guides, so choose the level where your child can succeed most of the time but still has to think.
Can I make a sheet with only letters?
Yes. Tap Letters and switch off the other types. At kindergarten the letters are similar capitals, and at grade 1 they are lowercase look-alikes and reversed words.
How many questions fit on a page?
Up to six. If you ask for 12 or 18 questions, the worksheet continues on a second or third page. Choose 4 for larger puzzles with more space.
Do the puzzles repeat?
The generator avoids repeating the same puzzle on one worksheet. Pressing Generate new worksheet makes a fresh set.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Turn on “Include answer key page” or press “Show answer key”. The correct item is highlighted in green on each puzzle.