In this post, I share information about how to teach CVC Words, provide a FREE printable CVC word list, and recommend the best CVC activities and resources for beginning readers.
CVC words, or consonant-vowel-consonant words, are some of the very first words we teach our young students to read and write. This is because each letter in a CVC word usually makes the sound we expect it to make. To ensure students can easily read and write these words, they need explicit CVC instruction and lots of meaningful CVC practice activities.
In an earlier post, I shared information on how to teach CVC words. While you found that information helpful, you wanted more suggestions for activities and games that help students learn CVC words. So today I’m excited to share more information to help you teach CVC words. I’ll share a FREE CVC word list and I share my favorite low-prep, SoR-aligned CVC activities to support beginning readers!
What is a CVC word?
A CVC word is a word made up of 3 letters: a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant. Mat, fed, dot, and kid are all examples of CVC words. The letters in these words make the sound we expect them to make. For this reason, CVC words are some of the very first words we teach children to read and write.
How to Teach CVC Words
Once children have developed phonemic awareness and automaticity with letter sound knowledge, they are ready to learn CVC words. The first step when teaching CVC words is to help students understand that these words have the same pattern: consonant-vowel-consonant.
Explicitly teach students these words have beginning, middle, and ending sounds. Visually show them where these sounds are in the word. Point to the sound as you make it. Start with the beginning sound, move to the middle, and then make the final sound.
When you teach CVC words, it is best to start with words that contain continuous phonemes, or sounds. Letters that make continuous sounds include f, l, m n, r, s v, z. Words with continuous sounds are easier to blend than stop sounds. /l/ /e/ /t/ (let) rather than a word like /d/ /o/ /g/ which begins with the stop sound /d/ and cannot be held to blend into the next sound.
Model continuous blending during explicit instruction as often as possible! Holding the sounds will allow early readers to hear the blended word more easily. “Mmmmmmmmaaaaaaat” rather than the choppy “/m/-/a/-/t/, mat”.
Tell students to hold out/stretch the sound like they’re singing, mmmmaaaaaat. You can add a visual to this to prompt them to hold out the sound each time. (ex: pulling your hands slowly apart as you continue to say a sound).
FREE CVC Word List
To help you teach CVC words, I am happy to offer you these FREE phonics skills word lists! In one download you’ll get word lists for CVC words, Blends, Digraphs, Long vowels, R-Controlled vowels, Diphthongs, and Multisyllabic words!
Drop your email below to receive these FREE Phonics Skills Word Lists instantly!
*please consider using a personal email address as strong school filters often block emails
The Best CVC Games and Activities
In an earlier post, I shared activities you can do with students to help teach them CVC words. The activities I will share today are great options for when you want to give students additional practice and review. These activities are all low-prep and aligned to the science of reading. You can use them as a small group activity or in a literacy center to give students the practice they need to read and write CVC words with ease!
CVC Spin-A-Word Phonics Activity
These Short Vowel Word Mapping Spelling Games help early readers strengthen their sound-to-symbol connections and master decoding skills. Students spin and say the word, then map each sound they hear. Then they write each sound and finally write the word on the line.
This is a NO PREP resource that includes 10 CVC Spin-A-Word games. It makes an engaging small-group phonics activity or literacy center game!
CVC Nonsense Words Phonics Game
This Nonsense Words & Sentence Writing activity gives students practice decoding and writing CVC words. Students decode each word determining if it is a real or nonsense word. They then write the word in the correct column and write a sentence using the word. This low-prep resource is perfect for literacy centers, small-group instruction, or independent practice.
CVC Mystery Word Sentences
Kids LOVE CVC Mystery Word Sentences! It is a no-prep literacy center activity that lets students uncover a mystery word by isolating the first phoneme of each picture, gradually revealing a secret sentence. After students reveal the mystery sentence, they read it for decoding practice and finally re-read it to improve fluency.
This resource includes 80 CVC Secret Code Sentences (10 for each vowel and 30 mixed review sentences). You can easily differentiate this activity by giving students the vowel(s) they need more practice with. It’s a fun and effective way to reinforce short vowel sounds while engaging students in meaningful phonics practice!
CVC Slides and Ladders
Your students will love short vowel reading activities when they use these CVC Board Games that offer an engaging way to help students practice decoding one-syllable words.
These fun and interactive Slides & Ladders phonics games are NO PREP for you! Simply print, cut, and play! You can easily differentiate by choosing a game board with a specific short vowel skill or a mixed CVC board for review.
CVC Word BINGO
These CVC Bingo Games are perfect for Short Vowel Review. This SoR-aligned, low-prep resource includes 8 decoding games that provide students with practice reading CVC words.
Whether you’re working on individual vowel sounds or reviewing mixed CVC words, these hands-on activities will support CVC mastery!
CVC Decodable Sentence Strips
These CVC Decodable Sentence Strips provide students with the review and practice they need after CVC words have been introduced. This resource combines CVC word reading practice with WH questions (who, what, where) so partners can review phonics patterns while also working on reading comprehension.
As students read and re-read the sentences with CVC and high-frequency words, they build their sight vocabulary and their fluency improves. The Decodable Sentence Strips make an engaging, low-prep literacy center or small group activity!
I hope the information and resources I shared here today will help you bring effective CVC word instruction and practice to your classroom and students! Be on the lookout for my next post where I’ll share tips and activities to help students master blends and digraphs!
-shop this post-
-
$3.00 -
$3.00 -
$3.00 -
$3.00 -
$3.00
