CVC word activities, or otherwise knows as middle sound activities, help kids make the transition between learning that each letter makes a sound and when we add vowels they make words. The goal is to have kids use their knowledge of the letter sounds and blend the sounds together to make words. In this blog we will be talking about 5 CVC word activities that will help pre-readers and early readers develop strong phonological skills (reading skills) from the start!

CVC Word Activity #1:

To get started, I ask kids to say each sound in the word. So if the word is “pat” – I would say:
What sound does “p” make?
What sound does “a” make?
What sound does “t” make?
When you put them together they say “pat”.

It’s really important to make sure that kids know the vowel sounds. When reading gets more advanced, kids work on long vowels, but to start, short vowel sounds (like the examples that you see below) are so helpful! Remember, reading is building blocks. We can’t get to the top if we don’t build from the bottom.

CVC Activities #2:

Here’s the focus: kids are learning that letters/sounds, when put together, make words and words have meaning. So the more we can reinforce this hierarchy with practice the better! In this fun clip and match activity, kids look at the picture, say the word and clip the middle sound. These task cards can be found HERE if you would like to purchase them 🙂

CVC Word Games:

Okay, this is all-time favourite with my students and kids! My suggestion, don’t start with a big list. It can get really confusing, so start small and build out! Sticky notes, butcher paper, and a simple paper/pencil activity are always some of my favourites. You can also do a hide and seek game, by placing the letter sticky notes around the house/classroom and kids find and match them! Let me know if you try this one!

CVC Games Online

Another great way to practice middle sounds, is through online digital games. These are amazing because they have audio and instant feedback, so kids can hear the sounds/words and learn while having fun! I made these games through a Free App called BOOM Cards. If you would like to purchase these online phonics games, click HERE!

Reading CVC Words:

As kids develop stronger literacy skills, they start to learn about those tricky, double vowels. This activity is a great way for kids to read, practice, repeat. Here is how I would set this up:

1. Pick 2 double vowels (ie: ee, ea, oo, etc)
2. Review what sounds they make.
3. Make a list using words that have the vowel sounds in the middle.
4. Have the child read each word.
5. Then ask the child to circle the vowel sounds.
6. Have the child read the words again!

CVC word activities (middle sound activities) help kids make transition between learning that each letter makes a sound to knowing that when we add vowels they make words. To recap, I’ve just shown you the following activities:

Circle the Vowels
Clip the Middle Sound
Fill in the Vowels (1 vowel)
Online Phonics Games
Fill in the Vowels (2 vowels)

These activities get kids to use their knowledge of the letter sounds to blend the sounds together to make words in a fun way! Give them a try with your pre-readers and early readers and watch them develop strong phonological skills (reading skills) right from the start!