CCVC words

How do you teach CCVC words?

Teach the blend as two sounds said quickly, never as one unit to memorize. Lay out the word stop and cover the s. "Read the part you know." The student reads top. "Now add /s/ to the front." Uncovering one letter shows that the new word is the old word plus a sound. Practice in pairs that differ by the blend alone: lip and slip, rip and trip, pot and spot.

What mistake do students make with CCVC words?

Students drop the second consonant, so flag comes out as fag and stop as sop. The fix is in the ear before the eye. Say the word slowly and have the student tap one finger per sound. If they tap three, say it again and stretch the blend. Once they hear four sounds, spelling the word with four letters follows.

Where do CCVC words come in the sequence?

Most programs add beginning blends right after the short vowels are secure, often in the same weeks as the advanced short vowel reviews, before digraphs. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.

Exceptions worth knowing

Our list leaves out words that start with a digraph (chip, ship), because those are three sounds, not four. Words like quit and twin sit on the edge: qu spells two sounds, so quit is often grouped with blends even though it is three letters.

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

• The frog can swim in the pond.
• Stop the sled at the flag.
• We had a plan to spin the top.