When teaching a child to read, CVC words are the turning point where you really start to see the everything come together.

Just in case you’re not down with the Phonics lingo, CVC words are consonant-vowel-consonant words.

They are the foundation of reading instruction, and those first baby steps to becoming an emerging reader.  They are arguably one of the most essential tools in any good Reading Instruction program.

Why CVC words?

Because when learning to read vowels are everything.

Vowels are the glue that hold letters together in a word.  Even in words that don’t have the typical vowels (a, e, i, o & u), have a letter that as acting as a vowel, most often the letter y.

That’s why we start with consonant-vowel-consonant or CVC words.  These are also commonly referred to as short vowel words.

Why are CVC words so important?

Starting with CVC words allows students to learn the general rules of the English language.  They are able to begin to see the patterns within our words and bring to predict how our language behaves.

This is the unit that takes my kindergarten from fledgling readers to strong beginning readers.  It is the thread from which the tapestry of their reading career is woven.

Yes.  It’s that important.

When do I teach them?

If you’re coming to me from my Word Study Instruction post then you already know your answer and can skip on down the page.

If you’re not however, then to determine whether or not your student is ready for CVC words you need to ask yourself two questions:

1.  Does my student know all their letters & sounds?

2.  Is my student able to blend and segment words?

If so you’re golden and ready to rock and roll with CVC words.  If not, I recommend you check out my Free Letter of the Week Series and my post on Blending and Segmenting.  I truly believe both of these are essential before starting any sort of word study program.

What’s the best way to teach them?

When I work with these in the classroom, I spend a solid 12 weeks focusing on just CVC words.

We spent two weeks on each vowel and then two weeks doing a mixed review.  Working one on one with my daughter, we sped this up a bit, but still spent a solid two+ months on just short vowels.

I do this by teaching CVC words through word study.

I created a Word Study schedule that I follow each week that takes us through a variety of activities that provide the repetition needed to completely master these spelling patterns.

I have a Master’s in Reading Education and Word Study was one of the pillars of the foundations we used in Reading Clinic.  I saw results there, and consistently in the classroom.

If you’d like to read more about Word Study and the research that supports it, be sure to check out my Word Study Instruction for Beginning Readers Post.

*Side note* I do recommend that Spelling/Word Study but taught separately, but in addition to learning Sight Words.  If you’d like more information on Sight Word instruction, be sure to visit my Sight Words series.

Word Study? That seems like a lot of work.

Well my friend, I’ve got you covered!

Not only have I created Spelling Lists and Word Sorts for you, I’ve also created a ton of worksheets that are perfect for differentiation.  I’ve included several for free below as well.

These are all available in my Short Vowel Unit.  This 93 page Unit includes everything you will need to teach short vowels!  It includes:

• 12 Weeks of Spelling Lists
• 12 Weeks of accompanying sorts
• 20 different Word Sort worksheets
• 6 CVC Word Building Worksheets
• 6 CVC Picture Clue Worksheets
• 6 CVC Unscrambling Worksheets
• 6 CVC Fill in the Blank Worksheets
• 6 CVC Spell a Word Worksheets
• 3 CVC Which Word Works Worksheets
• 3 Real/Nonsense Words Worksheets
• Introductory Mini Lesson
• Short Vowel Flashcards

All you have to do is print and go.

As a stay at home Mom, I take pride in keeping my resources affordable.  And in case you weren’t sold already, buying my resources also give you an instant karma boost for supporting a Mama who’s helping provide for her own family!  Or at least I like to think you do anyways!

Don’t forget if you’re a fan of my Word Study Plans, they are included in this Short Vowel Bundle for just $2 more!

I’ve included several freebies below also, so you can check out what’s included.

Spelling Lists

In my Short Vowel pack I’ve prepared thirteen weeks of spelling lists for you.  The words are created from the most common CVC word families.  I spend 2-3 weeks on each vowel sound and then wrap things up with a two week review that looks at vowel sounds mixed all together. 

You can grab a free Spelling List by clicking here or on the image below. 

Teaching CVC words through Word Study 

As I’ve mentioned before, I believe Word Study is essential to an effective Reading Program.  I could on and on about why I believe Word Study is so essential, but I’ve already done that in Word Study Instruction for Beginning Readers post.  I’ve also included a bunch of additional freebies there! 

In my Short Vowel Unit you will find thirteen weeks worth of Word Study already done for you!  

You can grab a free sample of one of my Word Sorts by clicking here or on the image below. 

Word Study Practice Worksheets

In addition to my Word Sorts, I also created two sets of  practice sheets for each word family covered in my study.  

One one sheet students are required to say it the word, look at predetermined  column headings and then write the word under the correct sort column. 

The second set of sheets requires students to first determine what the column headings should be, and then read the word, cutting and pasting it into the correct column.  

You can grab a free Word Study Practice Worksheet here or by clicking on the image below. 

Which Word Works

This is a less difficult worksheet that works for almost any child. Students are given a picture and then two word choices.  They are to circle the word that is spelled correctly.

As a teacher, I used sheets like these to supplement my Learning Stations while I worked with small groups.  They served as a sort of “exit ticket” for lower grades and held them accountable for their work in the station.

You can grab a free copy of one of these by clicking here or on the worksheet linked below. 

Unscramble it

This worksheet is also good for pretty much any child.  In this sheet, they are given a word bank and a series of pictures.  They have to look at the picture and find the correct word in the word blank. They then write it below the picture.

This would make great homework if you aren’t using my Spelling Bingo!

Build a Word

In this fun cut and paste activity gives students a word and lots of letter options below.  They must cut and paste the correct letters to form the word that the picture represents.

This worksheet may be difficult for children who have visual and or spacial difficulties.  Though similar to Unscramble it, having to cut and physically re-arrange the letters makes this slightly more challenging.

You can grab  a free one of these also, by just clicking here or on the worksheet below.

Picture It

On this worksheet, students must read a sentence and then find the picture that matches in a group below.  They then cut and paste the picture beside the correct sentence.

This sheet is great for challenging individual students who are know many sight words and are starting to read.  It can also be done in small groups or whole class to provide support with the reading.

I’ve included 6 of these in each of my short vowel resources.  You will find one for each vowel sound and one with mixed vowel sounds.

Fill in the Blank

This is a simple fill in the blank worksheet.  Students must read the sentence and then determine which of the words in the word bank is missing.  They then write the word on the blank.

This is sheet is a tad bit more difficult than Picture it, as it comes without the support of pictures.  Students must read the sentence and fill in the missing word.  They have a word bank available to help them.

Spell a Word

This is a simple little sheet that would be great for students in need of a little support.  Students are given a word bank and then supplied with pictures.  They have to write the correct word under the correct picture. 

You can grab one of these for free here, or by clicking on the worksheet below. 

Real or Nonsense Sort

Real or nonsense words play an important role in teaching CVC words through Word Study.  We do not focus on spelling these for obvious reasons, so I only have this activity as a worksheet. 

These real or nonsense words worksheets are perfect for helping students bridge the gap between blending and comprehension of words.  It helps them to understand the difference between real and make believe words. 

Don’t forget, you can grab all these amazing resources (and so much more ) in my Short Vowel Unit! It has every thing you need for teaching CVC words through word study!

Or if you prefer to create your own spelling lists and word sorts you can  also grab just  these CVC  practice sheets separately in my TPT store.  They are a steal at just $4!

Short vowel, CVC words are just the start of my Spelling/Word Study program.  Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as I share the rest of my spelling program, a ton of free resources and ways you can grab all of my content for a steal! 

Until then, don’t forget to continue working on those sight words and beginning reading strategies.  These should run simultaneously with Word Study Instruction to give young readers all the tools they need to take off on their Reading journey!

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, where I’m pinning all of these resources and so much more!