How to Use our Word Families and CVC Words

Tips for using our Word Family / CVC Cards……

WARNING:   Major assembly and patience required.

BENEFIT:   Once put together – these should last for many teaching years and kiddies love them….

GOOD LUCK AND MAY THE LAMINATOR (and hopefully a lovely teacher aide) BE WITH YOU !!!

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TIP 1:    NOW THIS IS HOW I USED THESE BUT THAT ISN’T SET IN STONE….

You could even just throw each group into a basket and let the kiddies fill in the blanks by just pulling out cards as they wish – or you could be more structured…..

 

TIP 2:    NO NEED TO USE ALL OPTIONS:

I have laminated all sets ready to go – you might only want to laminate and use – say – the missing middle vowel set – or just use the whole word cards for word wall display or sound sorting.

 

TIP 3:   USE THESE STORAGE BAGS:

I love these storage bags for everything – USE THEM !!!!  Pop a SOUND group in each bag (break up the cvc words into vowel groups)

 

TIP 4:   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRINT AND LAMINATE ALL VOWELS / SOUNDS AT ONCE.…….

There are LOADS OF CVC WORDS  – I think we have covered all possible combinations.  IF YOU ARE DOING THE ENTIRE LOT – DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRINT AND LAMINATE ALL VOWELS / SOUNDS AT ONCE – or you will end up wanting to put yourself through the laminator by the end of the day !!!!!    Just attempt one vowel set at a time…..

Think of it like having a baby – by the time the second one comes around (next vowel set), your INSTINCT has kicked in again and you have forgotten the pain of the first one !!!!!!

TIP 5:   USE THE REDUCED SIZE PRINT SETTINGS: 

I printed the whole words in the large print – and printed all ‘missing letter’ combinations using reduced print settings eg. 2 pages per sheet……  this is how my printer settings look when printing 2 pages per sheet…  you can even print smaller if wish….

TIP 6:   YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO CUT THEM OUT –

You might rather keep these in laminated sheets for children to add the letters or to just use these for display.

TIP 7:  PRINT THESE IN GRAYSCALE AND EXTRA SMALL

(4 pages to a sheet)  – For children to cut them out and use individually like ‘worksheets’…

MORE IDEAS:

• Grab a set of cards – children copy the laminated words – include the missing letters and draw a picture in their literacy books.
• Give each child a plain word card and a picture and they have to find their matching partners.
• Children use the printable alphabet letter tiles to make up and glue together the word family words.
• Make up customised phonics flip charts to match each word family – make these words on your flip charts..
• Grab a few sets of cards from different sound groups – Children classify mixed up word cards into word family categories.
• Use the activities from ‘101 Ways to Use Word Cards / Flashcards‘ with these words…eg. how many times can you find these words in books around the room etc…..

 

Most of all get playing with those words…..

GROUP THEM GROUP THEM GROUP THEM –

even throw them all in together and let the children group them however they like….

USE THE ENTIRE FLOOR SPACE IF NEEDED…..

AND…..

HAVE FUN !

Ready to start…… you can find our word families / cvc lists here….