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Step-by-step practice: English · Level 1Chapter 4 · Simple CVC words
Level 1 · Chapter 4

Simple CVC words

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • I can read a three-letter word by sounding out each letter
  • I can match a written word to its picture
  • I can say when a word does not match a picture
  • I can spell a short word in order
  • I can find the vowel in the middle of a short word

You should already know

  • Letter sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k, e, u, r, h, b, f, l (Chapters 1 to 3)

Where this leads

  • Blending short words (Chapter 5)

Step-by-step practice: English (Level 1). Small steps, repeated until fluent. Content: Read consonant-vowel-consonant words by sounding out each letter, Match a written word to the right picture, Spot a word that does not match its picture, Spell a picture name from its letters, Find the word with the same middle vowel as a model word.

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhich letter makes the short sound /u/ as in up? Choose o, u or e. A e B u C o Choose A, B or C.
2
FWhich letter makes the sound /h/ at the start of hat? Choose h, n or b. A h B n C b Choose A, B or C.
3
FWhich letter does the word rug start with? Choose from: g, u, r
4
FWhich letter makes the sound /f/? Choose f, l or s. A l B s C f Choose A, B or C.
5
FWhich letter makes the short sound /e/ as in egg? Choose a, e or i. A i B e C a Choose A, B or C.
4.1

Short a words

Level 1
Read CVC words with a in the middle, Match a word to its picture
Video lesson: Short a wordsComing soon

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.
Worked example 4.1.1
Read the word: cat. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.ABC

Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.

  1. Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.
    c - a - t
  2. Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.
    cat = picture C
  3. 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.

Worked example 4.1.2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: c, t, a

Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.

  1. Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.
    cat
  2. Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.
    c - a - t
  3. Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.
    cat
  4. 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.

Worked example 4.1.3
Read the word: cat. Does the picture show cat? Answer yes or no.

Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.

  1. Read the word. Sound out each letter.
    c - a - t
  2. Look at the picture. Say what it shows.
    cat
  3. Compare them. Do they show the same name?
    cat and cat are the same
  4. 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

1
FRead the word: cat. Does the picture show cat? Answer yes or no.
2
FRead the word: hat. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
3
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: a, h, t
4
FRead the word: hat. Does the picture show hat? Answer yes or no.
5
FRead the word: hat. Does the picture show hat? Answer yes or no.
6
FRead the word: bat. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
7
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: t, a, b
8
FRead the word: bat. Does the picture show bat? Answer yes or no.
9
FRead the word: bat. Does the picture show bat? Answer yes or no.
10
FRead the word: mat. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
11
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: a, m, t
12
FRead the word: mat. Does the picture show mat? Answer yes or no.
13
FRead the word: mat. Does the picture show mat? Answer yes or no.
14
PSThe word cat has the middle letter a. Which word has the same middle letter? A tin B hat C pin Choose A, B or C.
15
PSThe word bat has the middle letter a. Which word has the same middle letter? A mat B pig C dog Choose A, B or C.
4.2

Short i words

Level 1
Read CVC words with i in the middle, Spot a word that does not match its picture
Video lesson: Short i wordsComing soon

In pin, the letters are p, i, n. The middle letter is i, which makes the short sound /i/ as in ink.

Read /p/ /i/ /n/ and join them: pin. Check the picture. Does it show a pin?

If the picture shows something else, the word does not match.

Key ideas

  • Each word here has i in the middle.
  • Read all three letters before you decide.
  • Check the picture carefully.
Worked example 4.2.1
Read the word: pin. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.ABC

Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.

  1. Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.
    p - i - n
  2. Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.
    pin = picture C
  3. Write the answer.
    C

Check. The other pictures show different names: sun, leg. ✓

Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.

Worked example 4.2.2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: i, p, n

Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.

  1. Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.
    pin
  2. Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.
    p - i - n
  3. Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.
    pin
  4. Write the answer.
    pin

Check. Read the letters back: p - i - n. They make pin. ✓

Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.

Worked example 4.2.3
Read the word: pin. Does the picture show pin? Answer yes or no.

Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.

  1. Read the word. Sound out each letter.
    p - i - n
  2. Look at the picture. Say what it shows.
    pin
  3. Compare them. Do they show the same name?
    pin and pin are the same
  4. Write the answer.
    Yes

Check. The picture shows a pin. ✓

Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.

Watch out

Watch out: pin and pig start with the same letter, but the rest of the word is different.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Keep the vowel short: "i" as in pin, not "ee" as in pine. Ask the child to tell you the middle letter first.

Exercise 4B  Practice: short i words

1
FRead the word: pin. Does the picture show pin? Answer yes or no.
2
FRead the word: tin. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
3
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: n, t, i
4
FRead the word: tin. Does the picture show tin? Answer yes or no.
5
FRead the word: tin. Does the picture show tin? Answer yes or no.
6
FRead the word: pig. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
7
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: p, g, i
8
FRead the word: pig. Does the picture show pig? Answer yes or no.
9
FRead the word: pig. Does the picture show pig? Answer yes or no.
10
PSThe word pin has the middle letter i. Which word has the same middle letter? A hat B tin C cat Choose A, B or C.
4.3

Short o words

Level 1
Read CVC words with o in the middle, Match a written word to a picture
Video lesson: Short o wordsComing soon

In dog, the letters are d, o, g. The middle letter is o, which makes the short sound /o/ as in ox.

Read /d/ /o/ /g/ and join the sounds: dog. Then find the matching picture.

Notice that log and dog have the same middle letter and the same ending.

Key ideas

  • Each word here has o in the middle.
  • Words with the same middle letter can end in different letters.
  • Read the whole word before you choose a picture.
Worked example 4.3.1
Read the word: dog. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.ABC

Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.

  1. Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.
    d - o - g
  2. Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.
    dog = picture A
  3. Write the answer.
    A

Check. The other pictures show different names: pin, cat. ✓

Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.

Worked example 4.3.2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: d, g, o

Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.

  1. Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.
    dog
  2. Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.
    d - o - g
  3. Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.
    dog
  4. Write the answer.
    dog

Check. Read the letters back: d - o - g. They make dog. ✓

Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.

Worked example 4.3.3
Read the word: dog. Does the picture show dog? Answer yes or no.

Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.

  1. Read the word. Sound out each letter.
    d - o - g
  2. Look at the picture. Say what it shows.
    dog
  3. Compare them. Do they show the same name?
    dog and dog are the same
  4. Write the answer.
    Yes

Check. The picture shows a dog. ✓

Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.

Watch out

Watch out: dog and log look alike, but the first letters are different. Read every letter.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Say the short "o" sound as in ox. Point to the middle letter before you read the whole word.

Exercise 4C  Practice: short o words

1
FRead the word: dog. Does the picture show dog? Answer yes or no.
2
FRead the word: log. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
3
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: o, g, l
4
FRead the word: log. Does the picture show log? Answer yes or no.
5
FRead the word: log. Does the picture show log? Answer yes or no.
6
FRead the word: pot. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
7
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: t, p, o
8
FRead the word: pot. Does the picture show pot? Answer yes or no.
9
FRead the word: pot. Does the picture show pot? Answer yes or no.
10
FRead the word: mop. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
11
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: p, o, m
12
FRead the word: mop. Does the picture show mop? Answer yes or no.
13
FRead the word: mop. Does the picture show mop? Answer yes or no.
14
PSThe word dog has the middle letter o. Which word has the same middle letter? A cat B log C hat Choose A, B or C.
15
PSThe word pot has the middle letter o. Which word has the same middle letter? A mop B bat C mat Choose A, B or C.
4.4

Short e words

Level 1
Read CVC words with e in the middle, Spell a picture name from its letters
Video lesson: Short e wordsComing soon

In hen, the letters are h, e, n. The middle letter is e, which makes the short sound /e/ as in egg.

Read /h/ /e/ /n/ and join the sounds: hen. Then find or spell the picture name.

Spelling a word means writing its letters in order, from the first sound to the last.

Key ideas

  • Each word here has e in the middle.
  • Spell from the first sound to the last.
  • Check the word matches the picture.
Worked example 4.4.1
Read the word: hen. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.ABC

Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.

  1. Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.
    h - e - n
  2. Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.
    hen = picture B
  3. Write the answer.
    B

Check. The other pictures show different names: pen, mug. ✓

Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.

Worked example 4.4.2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: e, n, h

Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.

  1. Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.
    hen
  2. Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.
    h - e - n
  3. Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.
    hen
  4. Write the answer.
    hen

Check. Read the letters back: h - e - n. They make hen. ✓

Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.

Worked example 4.4.3
Read the word: hen. Does the picture show hen? Answer yes or no.

Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.

  1. Read the word. Sound out each letter.
    h - e - n
  2. Look at the picture. Say what it shows.
    hen
  3. Compare them. Do they show the same name?
    hen and hen are the same
  4. Write the answer.
    Yes

Check. The picture shows a hen. ✓

Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.

Watch out

Watch out: bed and net both end with a consonant. Check the middle letter first, then the last letter.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask the child to say each sound and then write or point to the letters in order.

Exercise 4D  Practice: short e words

1
FRead the word: hen. Does the picture show hen? Answer yes or no.
2
FRead the word: pen. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
3
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: n, p, e
4
FRead the word: pen. Does the picture show pen? Answer yes or no.
5
FRead the word: pen. Does the picture show pen? Answer yes or no.
6
FRead the word: net. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
7
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: e, t, n
8
FRead the word: net. Does the picture show net? Answer yes or no.
9
FRead the word: net. Does the picture show net? Answer yes or no.
10
FRead the word: bed. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
11
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: e, b, d
12
FRead the word: bed. Does the picture show bed? Answer yes or no.
13
FRead the word: bed. Does the picture show bed? Answer yes or no.
14
PSThe word hen has the middle letter e. Which word has the same middle letter? A hat B pen C cat Choose A, B or C.
15
PSThe word net has the middle letter e. Which word has the same middle letter? A bed B bat C mat Choose A, B or C.
4.5

Short u words

Level 1
Read CVC words with u in the middle, Find the word with the same middle vowel
Video lesson: Short u wordsComing soon

In bus, the letters are b, u, s. The middle letter is u, which makes the short sound /u/ as in up.

Read /b/ /u/ /s/ and join the sounds: bus. Check the picture.

Two words with the same middle letter, such as bus and bug, have the same vowel sound.

Key ideas

  • Each word here has u in the middle.
  • Read the middle letter first.
  • Find the word with the same middle letter.
Worked example 4.5.1
Read the word: bus. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.ABC

Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.

  1. Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.
    b - u - s
  2. Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.
    bus = picture B
  3. Write the answer.
    B

Check. The other pictures show different names: dog, pot. ✓

Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.

Worked example 4.5.2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: b, s, u

Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.

  1. Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.
    bus
  2. Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.
    b - u - s
  3. Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.
    bus
  4. Write the answer.
    bus

Check. Read the letters back: b - u - s. They make bus. ✓

Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.

Worked example 4.5.3
Read the word: bus. Does the picture show bus? Answer yes or no.

Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.

  1. Read the word. Sound out each letter.
    b - u - s
  2. Look at the picture. Say what it shows.
    bus
  3. Compare them. Do they show the same name?
    bus and bus are the same
  4. Write the answer.
    Yes

Check. The picture shows a bus. ✓

Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.

Watch out

Watch out: cup and bus have the same middle letter, but they start and end differently.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Say "u" as in up, short and sharp. Ask the child to find the middle letter of each word first.

Exercise 4E  Practice: short u words

1
FRead the word: bus. Does the picture show bus? Answer yes or no.
2
FRead the word: bug. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
3
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: g, b, u
4
FRead the word: bug. Does the picture show bug? Answer yes or no.
5
FRead the word: bug. Does the picture show bug? Answer yes or no.
6
FRead the word: mug. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
7
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: u, m, g
8
FRead the word: mug. Does the picture show mug? Answer yes or no.
9
FRead the word: mug. Does the picture show mug? Answer yes or no.
10
FRead the word: cup. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
11
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: p, c, u
12
FRead the word: cup. Does the picture show cup? Answer yes or no.
13
FRead the word: cup. Does the picture show cup? Answer yes or no.
14
PSThe word bus has the middle letter u. Which word has the same middle letter? A bug B cat C hat Choose A, B or C.
15
PSThe word mug has the middle letter u. Which word has the same middle letter? A bat B mat C cup Choose A, B or C.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Read a CVC wordRead each letter from left to right, then join the sounds
Find the vowel in the middleLook at the middle letter of the word
Match a word to its pictureRead every letter before you choose
Spell a short wordWrite the letters from the first sound to the last

Can you…?

  • I can read a CVC word by sounding out each letter
  • I can find the vowel in the middle of a short word
  • I can match a word to its picture
  • I can spot a word that does not match its picture

Key terms

consonant
a letter that is not a, e, i, o or u
vowel
the letters a, e, i, o and u
CVC word
a word with consonant, vowel, consonant, such as cat

Exercise 4Z  Check-up

1
Read the word: cat. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
2
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: t, p, o
3
Read the word: bug. Does the picture show bug? Answer yes or no.
4
Read the word: hen. Does the picture show hen? Answer yes or no.
5
Read the word: mug. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.
ABC
6
The word dog has the middle letter o. Which word has the same middle letter? A hat B log C cup Choose A, B or C.
7
Put these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: e, b, d
8
Read the word: pig. Does the picture show pig? Answer yes or no.
9
Read the word: rug. Does the picture show rug? Answer yes or no.
10
Which word has the short /i/ sound in the middle? Choose sun, pin or pot. A pin B pot C sun Choose A, B or C.

Total 10 marks. Allow about 10 minutes.

Exercise 4X  Practice test questions

1
FRead the word: tap. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.[1 mark]
ABC
2
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: n, a, f[1 mark]
3
FRead the word: net. Does the picture show net? Answer yes or no.[1 mark]
4
FRead the word: cup. Does the picture show cup? Answer yes or no.[1 mark]
5
FPut these letters in the right order to spell the picture name: g, r, u[1 mark]
6
PSThe word hat has the middle letter a. Which word has the same middle letter? A dog B bed C pan Choose A, B or C.[1 mark]
7
FRead the word: bed. Which picture matches? Choose A, B or C.[1 mark]
ABC
8
FRead the word: hut. Does the picture show hut? Answer yes or no.[1 mark]
9
FWhich word has the short /o/ sound in the middle? Choose hen, mop or bus. A mop B hen C bus Choose A, B or C.[1 mark]
10
FRead the word: mat. Does the picture show mat? Answer yes or no.[1 mark]
← Chapter 3: Letter sounds: e, u, r, h, b, f, lChapter 5: Blending short words →

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