Teaching CVC words to kindergarteners is such an important piece in developing foundational literacy skills. Engaging them with hands-on, fun activities and games not only makes the learning process more fun but also enhances their understanding of CVC words. Check out these 10 exciting games and activities to make teaching CVC words in kindergarten both fun and memorable!
As the amazing teacher you are, you likely already know why teaching CVC words in kindergarten is so important, but let’s do a quick refresh!
Understanding and practicing CVC words is a vital part of early literacy development. Early exposure to these words helps provide a strong foundation for reading and spelling as kindergarteners develop their phonemic awareness skills.
Beyond reading and spelling, practicing CVC words helps children develop necessary early writing skills.
Finally, practicing CVC words also contributes to better reading fluency skills and larger vocabularies later in life.
There are truly so many important reasons to expose children to CVC words throughout kindergarten!
When teaching these important CVC words, you want learning to be both memorable and fun. Interactive, hands-on games and activities help you do just that!
Beyond the fact that kids just have SO MUCH more fun when they’re hands-on with learning, recent research supports that interactive learning like games and activities is more effective for teaching young students compared to sedentary tasks like worksheets.
These activities capture and maintain the attention of young learners so much more! They also promote intrinsic motivation– which leads to a more positive attitude towards learning!
The National Association for the Education of Young Children also emphasizes the importance of hands-on experiences for young children. Choosing to utilize these activities throughout your teaching with kindergarteners allows them to actively participate in their learning. This kinesthetic approach makes it easier for them to comprehend and retain what you’re teaching them.
As they actively participate in learning, they have opportunities to practice their social, teamwork, and communication skills. When working together, kindergarteners must think critically, consider ways to solve problems, and make many decisions.
These skills are all important for future academic success and lifelong learning!
With all of the benefits of hands-on learning and the importance of CVC words in mind, here are the promised 10 games and activities you can implement in your kindergarten classroom to make learning a breeze.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Grab a FREE set of CVC cards and all the recording pages you need to try it out for yourself.
These cards are perfect for differentiation and individualized instruction! You can use the word cards, picture cards, or cards with words and pictures.
In this first interactive CVC game, each child needs one card. Tape the cards onto each child’s shirt or put cards on lanyards. This saves a lot of time, and you can play again and again!
Children walk around the room and write the words shown on each other’s shirts or lanyards. They can write the words on a dry-erase board or the matching recording sheet.
To play Merry Go Round Readers, lay the cards in a circular shape on the floor. Students stand on the outside of the circle behind one of the cards.
Play some music and students walk around the circle with a dry-erase board. When you stop the music, everyone must read or say the word in front of them.
For extra writing practice, they can also write the words on a dry-erase board or the matching recording sheet.
Play the music and repeat as long as you’d like!
For this game, glue cards to paper or plastic cups using a glue stick.
Students read the words on each cup and see how big of a tower they can build without it falling over. They write the words on the matching recording sheet to practice writing the CVC words.
Easily differentiate this game by choosing the cards that best fit your students’ needs.
To play Heads Up!, students sit together while you hold a stack of word cards upside down.
You flip one card to your forehead without looking, and students read the card aloud. Once they’ve read the word, check the card to see if they are correct.
Keep flipping cards or let a student come up to take your place. This game can also be played with partners or in a small group.
Next up is Mystery Partner. To play this CVC game, grab a set of word cards and matching picture cards so you have enough cards for each student to have one.
Students put their heads down or close their eyes (you know what will work best for your little ones!). Randomly give half of the students a picture card and the other half the matching words.
When students open their eyes or lift their heads, instruct them to walk around the classroom to find their partner.
When they find their match, they both sit down together. Mystery solved!
This one’s so easy!! When it’s time to Write the Room, hang picture cards OR word cards around your classroom.
Children walk around with a clipboard and write all the words on the matching recording sheet. That’s it!
Low-prep for you but so engaging for your kindergarteners who always think using a clipboard is the best thing ever!
For Look and Learn, create a sensory bin filled with pom poms, rice, beads, beans or other small materials. Add word or picture cards to the bin as well.
As students select cards, they either read them aloud or write them on the matching recording sheet. This sensory bin activity is perfect for pairs or small groups.
*For extra fun, add mini erasers, figurines, or other small toys!
To play Roll and Write, slide the cards into a cube with clear pockets. Students roll a picture or word and then write the word.
Easily differentiate this activity by having students use the word in a sentence or practice spelling the word aloud.
This activity can be used in individual learning or with others!
In this hands-on learning game, students choose a word card and draw a picture on a dry-erase board or the matching recording sheet.
Turn this into a Pictionary-style game for whole-class fun!
And last but not least, go on a Word Walk with your students!
Before you go, place cards in a line along the wall in your hallway. Encourage students to walk, hop, or tiptoe from card to card and record each word as they arrive at it.
Use a few of these games at once by creating stations for your students or choose just one at a time to do together as a class!
The hands-on, interactive learning doesn’t have to stop after you’ve played all 10 of these fun games!
Use your CVC cards (yep, the FREE ones you grabbed earlier from this post!!) with the Phonics Freeze Game Bundle.
This set of 6 FREEZE games will keep your kids moving and engaged as they practice important short vowel skills.
If you’re new to FREEZE, don’t worry. It’s easy– and it will quickly become one of your new favorite interactive games!
How to play:
Play again and again– until your heart’s content!
For more fun ways to practice CVC words, check out this post explaining the super fun Guess and Groove Phonics Game!
With these hands-on, interactive activities, practicing CVC words with your kindergartners will be meaningful and fun for all! Happy Teaching!
I’m a teacher who believes in creating a classroom kids love and activities that keep them engaged all day!
©2019 Polka Dots Please. All Rights Reserved. Designed by Ashley Hughes.
7 Responses
I love all of these games. Where do I go to buy them or download them?
Hi Tara,
Thanks so much for reaching out! You can sign up to receive the CVC game cards and all the recording sheets up higher in this post. Simply enter your email address and everything will be sent to your inbox. There are additional games for other phonics skills available on TPT, and you can use the same recording pages for any of the skills. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] and I would be happy to help!
Happy Teaching!
Emily
I love all these game ideas but cannot see in the post where to sign up for the CVC cards and recording sheets. Looked through the post a few times so not sure what I am missing. Can you help me out please?
Hi Madeleine,
Thanks so much for reaching out! You can sign up to receive the CVC game cards and all the recording sheets up higher in this post. Simply enter your email address and everything will be sent to your inbox. There are additional games for other phonics skills available on TPT, and you can use the same recording pages for any of the skills. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] and I would be happy to help!
Happy Teaching!
Emily
I can’t wait to try these games out! Thanks so much for sharing them with us! There are going to be some happy children in my classroom this week!
Thanks so much Lucy! I hope you and your students enjoy trying these new activities!
Happy Teaching
Emily
Oh my gosh .. I am so grateful for these activities! Thank you so much for sharing. It’s exactly what I was looking for this week! I love the variety and the opportunity for individualization.
Tammy.