Manipulating Phonemes in “Short A” CVC Words

CVC words are an important stepping stone in learning to read because they are short and simple. They consist of three letters: a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant. These words are often called “consonant-vowel-consonant” words. Children can often decode these words by sounding out the individual letters and blending them together. This helps children learn the relationship between letters and sounds and build their reading skills. CVC words are also often familiar to children, which can help them feel successful while learning to read.

This set of differentiated worksheets allows students to manipulate the phonemes in “short a” CVC words to create new words. Students change either the beginning or ending sound to transform a word into an entirely different one magically!

CVC Word Worksheets? Yes, Please!

We understand that there is a huge range of diverse learning abilities in any primary classroom and that catering to every child’s needs is never easy! That is why we have FOUR differentiated variations of this worksheet, allowing you to cater to above-level, on-level, and below-level learners… and anything in between! Each set of worksheets has subtle differences, as outlined below:

• Option 1: Students look at the picture and read the word. They manipulate the beginning or ending sound to create the new word shown by the picture, then write it in the boxes provided.
• Option 2: Similar to Option 1, with the inclusion of a letter bank at the bottom of the page for students to draw from when writing the new word.
• Option 3: Similar to Option 2, the letter that needs to be changed on the initial word is underlined to provide additional support to students.
• Option 4: Students look at the picture and read the word. They manipulate the beginning or ending sound to create a new word of their choice. No image is provided.

Answers for all worksheets are also provided.

Multiple Applications for This CVC Phoneme Manipulation Worksheet

These “short a” CVC spelling worksheets have been designed to complement your phonics program. It can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

• Whole-class instruction (via a smartboard)
• Reading center
• Independent practice or extension
• Homework

Easily Download Phoneme Manipulation Activities for Your Students

Use the dropdown arrow next to the Download button to access this resource’s PDF or editable Google Slides version. 

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheets for students to complete.

Don’t forget to consider more sustainable options for delivering this resource, such as digital lesson delivery.

This resource was created by Kendall Britnell, a teacher in Colorado and a Teach Starter collaborator.