Three novel experiments investigated the effectiveness of color-coded word-families flashcards for facilitating kindergarteners' word recognition skills. Flashcards were constructed with the rime of the word family (vowel and remaining consonant sounds) printed in black ink, indicating that words with this spelling pattern sound the same, and the onsets (initial consonant sounds) shown in different colors, indicating the sound changes from word to word. All experiments involved pre- and post-testing on word recognition and phonological awareness and random assignment to intervention or control conditions. The length of intervention and type of control condition differed among experiments. Results suggested that word-families may facilitate word recognition skill development and that factors such as amount of practice, phonological awareness, and socioeconomic status impact the efficacy of the intervention.