CVC Word Train – Learning Phonics the fun way

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We know only too well that learning to read can be daunting and confusing for children. Often children are taught to segment and blend words together when they are not ready. In many cases, this means that children start making their own strategies and rules to learn to read and many children end up learning by sight.

The CVC train is a teaching aid ṭo introduce CVC words . For younger kids, it is best to use audio , visual , self-made teaching aids and flash cards.  Create stories with alphabets and their sounds and join alphabets to make familiar words .

What are CVC words?

CVC words are C-onsonant V-owel C-onsonant – these are the first words that a child learns to read such as c-a-t, h-e-n, p-i-g, d-o-g, b-u-g. CVC words are easy for a child to decode and blend back together to read the word.

How to make your own CVC word train at home:

1. Collect all materials – Chart paper, Colored Construction Papers – A4 or Letter size – White, Blue, Yellow, Green & Black , Glue, Scissors, Tape, Craft sticks, Markers
2. Cut a rectangle 11 inches by 28 inches from the white chart paper  or ivory sheet. Line the chart with black tape at the edges to secure it.
3. Fold the Blue & green paper in half first along the short edge and again along the long edge. Open to reveal 4 sections. Fold the yellow similarly – first along its long edge , then half and another half. open to reveal 8 sections.
4. Cut out each section with a scissor
5. Now to make the train, line each blue rectangle as shown. Stick to white chart paper.
6. Stick the Yellow rectangle over it.
7. Fold each green rectangle as shown in the image to form a mini pocket that will hold our CVC cards.
8. Cut out an engine, wheels and the joints from a black paper as shown in the image.
9. Paste them all together to form the train.

Using the CVC word train as a teaching aid:

As children are familiar with alphabets and their sounds, start  narrating a story . Here’s what I say –
One day two Kids ‘a’ and ‘t’ were traveling in a train their names were ऐ (sound of A ) and  ट(sound of t).
When they saw each other they greeted each other and started talking. Soon they became friends ( point to the +) and they sat together ( point to the arrow -> ).
Here,  start taking the two sounds together and join them to make a word by saying ऐट which will be the sound of at.
After introducing the word ‘at’,  further continue your story and add alphabets to ‘at’ words to make CVC words …

In this manner, we can show the magic of joining the alphabets  and creating  meaningful words viz cat, bat, fat, mat, hat.

More CVC words to practice

A

ab: cab, dab, gab, jab, lab, nab, tab,

at: bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, pat, rat, sat,

ad: bad, dad, had, lad, mad, pad, sad,

an: ban, can, fan, man, pan, ran, tan, van,

ag: bag, gag, hag, lag, nag, rag, sag, tag, wag,

ap: cap, gap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, tap, yap, zap,

am: bam, dam, ham, jam, ram, yam,

Other: gal, pal, gas, yak, wax, tax,

E

ed: bed, fed, led, red, wed,

eg: beg, keg, leg, peg

et: bet, get, jet, let, met, net, pet, set, vet, wet, yet

en: den, hen, men, pen, ten,

Other: yes, web, gem, hem, pep,

I

it: bit, fit, hit, kit, lit, pit, sit, wit,

id: bid, did, hid, kid, lid, rid,

ig: big, dig, fig, gig, jig, pig, rig, wig, zig,

im: dim, him, rim,

ip: dip, hip, lip, nip, rip, sip, tip, zip,

in: bin, din, fin, pin, sin, tin, win,

Other: him, mix, six, fix,

O

ot: cot, dot, got, hot, jot, lot, not, pot, rot, tot,

ob: cob, gob, job, lob, mob, rob, sob,

og: bog, cog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log,

op: cop, hop, mop, pop, top,

Other: box, fox, pox, rod, sod, mom

U

ut: but, cut, gut, hut, jut, nut, rut,

ub: cub, hub, nub, rub, sub, tub,

ug: bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, pug, rug, tug,

um: bum, gum, hum, mum, sum,

un: bun, fun, gun, nun, pun, run, sun,

ud: bud, cud, dud, mud,

Other: pup, cup, bus