CVCC words

How do you teach CVCC words?

Build the word from its CVC base. Write ten, then add a d to make tend. "What changed? We added /d/ at the end." Keep the final blend in one hand gesture: two fingers that close together. Sort words by their last two letters so the student sees -nd, -st, -mp as families, then mix them so they have to read every letter.

What mistake do students make with CVCC words?

The nasal sounds are the trouble spot. Students spell lamp as lap or went as wet because the /m/ or /n/ hides inside the vowel. Have the student say the word with a hand under the chin and notice the hum. Then segment it on four boxes and point to the box that is still empty.

Where do CVCC words come in the sequence?

Ending blends usually come in the same stretch as beginning blends, right after all five short vowels, and before the digraph lessons. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.

Exceptions worth knowing

Words ending in nk (bank, sink) look like CVCC words, but n there says /ng/, so we keep them on the nk and welded sounds pages. Words like bolt and mild have a long vowel, so they are on the ild and old page instead.

Decodable sentences

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

• The kid can jump on the sand.
• Mom left the lamp on the desk.
• We felt the wind as we went past the pond.