Learning guide
Understanding CVC words
CVC stands for consonant, vowel, consonant: three-letter words such as cat, pen, sit, hot and bug. Each letter makes one sound, so children can read them by sounding out and blending.
Why CVC words come first
Because every letter in a CVC word makes its simplest sound, children can read them as soon as they know a few letter sounds and can blend. Reading a whole word on their own for the first time is a big moment.
Word families make patterns visible
A word family is a group of words that share an ending, such as -at (cat, hat, mat, sat) or -ig (big, dig, pig, wig). Changing only the first letter shows children how one sound changes the word, and helps them read new words by analogy.
- Write an ending such as -at and swap the first letter to make new words.
- Ask which words are real and which are silly: "zat" is a fun nonsense word.
- Sort picture cards by their word family.
Reading and writing together
Once children can read CVC words, try saying one aloud and asking them to write it by listening for each sound in turn. Writing a word and reading it back strengthens both skills.
Browse resources for Ages 4–5 and Ages 5–7.
This guide is general information for parents and educators. If you're concerned about your child's progress, their teacher is the best person to talk to.