How To Teach CVC Words + FREE CVC Word List!

CVC words are words that have the pattern consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC, like the words cat and mop. The vowel in CVC words makes the short sound because it is a closed syllable.

When a consonant follows a vowel it creates a closed syllable. This means the vowel makes its short sound instead of saying its name (the long sound). Learn more about the closed syllable here.Since CVC words are so easy to decode, they are perfect for students learning how to read. Students usually learn letter sounds first, and these are easy to apply with CVC words since they are short and straightforward.

Teaching students how to read CVC words introduces blending and segmenting with letters. These two skills are what they will need as they educationrefer progress with more complex words and patterns.

By learning to read the CVC pattern, students are now able to read sentences and books on their own and practice these skills. Most early reader books are full of CVC words and high frequency words, so it makes sense to start here.

The major skill in teaching CVC words is getting students to understand that the word always has the same pattern. For example, the word pot has the consonant-vowel-consonant pattern of /p/ /o/ /t/. It’s important to show your students how each letter makes its sound so they are able to blend them together quickly and recognize the pattern.

Teach students about the beginning, middle, and ending sounds. Start with the beginning sound, asking students what the first sound is or what the beginning sound is. Then move to the middle sound. And finally, work on the final sound. Show them visually where the beginning, middle, and end of a word are. Always model first, pointing to the place you are referring to.

After you have taugt students to isolate the individual sounds, you can show them how to blend and segment the sounds.