First Grade: Phonics

Break up words.

Identifying letter sounds is an important foundation for learning to read and write. Help your child practice identifying letter sounds by breaking up the sounds in 3-letter CVC (Consonant Vowel Consonant) words—words that begin with a consonant, have a vowel in the middle, and end with a consonant. Purposefully voice each letter distinctly so your child can hear the beginning, middle, and ending sounds clearly. Ask your child to put the sounds together and guess what the word is.

Use words like:

• cat: (“c – a – t”)
• bed
• pig
• dog
• bus
• lap
• ten
• big
• job
• nut

Extend this activity by having your child write down the words they hear (don’t worry about spelling accuracy) or identify specific CVC words in a book.