Step-by-step English Level 1: Short a words
Part of the Step-by-step English Level 1 simple cvc words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Short a words
Some words have three letters: a consonant, a vowel, then a consonant. This is called CVC.
In cat, the letters are c, a, t. Read each letter in order: /c/ /a/ /t/. The middle letter is the vowel a, which makes the short sound /a/ as in ant.
Read every letter. Then find the picture that matches the word.
Key ideas
- Each word here has a in the middle.
- Read the letters from left to right.
- Read every letter, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.c - a - t
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.cat = picture C
- Write the answer. C
Check. The other pictures show different names: tin, mug. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.cat
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.c - a - t
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.cat
- Write the answer. cat
Check. Read the letters back: c - a - t. They make cat. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.c - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?cat and cat are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a cat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Watch out
Watch out: cat and hat look alike, but they start with different letters. Read every letter.Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask the child to cover the word with a finger and read one letter at a time, left to right. Then ask the child to join the sounds.
Exercise 4A Practice: short a words
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.c - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.map
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?cat and map are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a map. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.h - a - t
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.hat = picture B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The other pictures show different names: tap, bat. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.hat
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.h - a - t
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.hat
- Write the answer. hat
Check. Read the letters back: h - a - t. They make hat. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.h - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.hat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?hat and hat are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a hat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.h - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.map
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?hat and map are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a map. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.b - a - t
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.bat = picture B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The other pictures show different names: hat, pig. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.bat
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.b - a - t
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.bat
- Write the answer. bat
Check. Read the letters back: b - a - t. They make bat. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.b - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.bat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bat and bat are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a bat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.b - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.map
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bat and map are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a map. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.m - a - t
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.mat = picture C
- Write the answer. C
Check. The other pictures show different names: net, rug. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.mat
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.m - a - t
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.mat
- Write the answer. mat
Check. Read the letters back: m - a - t. They make mat. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.m - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.mat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mat and mat are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a mat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.m - a - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.map
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mat and map are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a map. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Find the middle letter, then find the choice that has the same one.
- Find the middle letter of the model word. It is the vowel in the middle.cat: middle = a
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.hat has middle a
- Write the answer. B
Check. Both cat and hat have a in the middle. ✓
Watch out. Look at the middle letter only, not the first or the last.
Method. Find the middle letter, then find the choice that has the same one.
- Find the middle letter of the model word. It is the vowel in the middle.bat: middle = a
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.mat has middle a
- Write the answer. A
Check. Both bat and mat have a in the middle. ✓
Watch out. Look at the middle letter only, not the first or the last.