Thanksgiving has always been a very popular holiday in my household. As a mom of three growing boys our Thanksgiving table is always full of delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, and of course PUMPKIN PIE! To me, when I think of Thanksgiving, I think of family, a warm kitchen, and a turkey full of luscious feathers. This adorable Thanksgiving activity for kindergarten not only made my kids hungry, but also got them excited about reading and writing. One of the best ways for children to explore the relationship between letters and sounds is with word building. Use this wonderful, hands-on reading activity to really kick off your CVC words list literacy centers with a bang!
Teaching CVC Words in Kindergarten:
EARLY READING SKILLS
VISUALS AND PICTURES ARE IMPORTANT IN EARLY WORD BUILDING. THEY ALLOW KIDS TO CONNECT A VISUAL IMAGE WITH A WRITTEN WORD.
Practicing CVC words and phonics for kids is often the first step toward reading! It’s so exciting as a parent and a teacher to see your child’s eyes light up when they realize they can blend individual sounds to create real words
Physically building CVC words from pictures before writing them ensures students use multiple senses rather than simply reading off of a word list. Plus this is a great skill for children that are English language learners and/or students who have a tough time sounding out words.
I would introduce this activity as a whole group and practice it together several times. Then, I would use it as a center during guided reading.
I would work with small groups or individuals on short vowel words periodically so I can assess each student for progress.
Consider creating smaller sets of word cards. Use words with the same vowel, rhyming words, beginning consonants, or other spelling word patterns you are working on.
In addition to practicing short vowels in this activity, students will improve phonological awareness by saying each word and stretching each sound to it.
Phonics for Kindergarteners
KINDERGARTEN SPELLING AND READING
KINDERGARTENERS WILL GAIN CONFIDENCE AND MOTIVATION WHEN THEY FEEL SUCCESSFUL WITH CVC WORD GAMES AND SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS.
When kindergarteners break a word into individual sounds, then write the letter that represents each sound, it’s called phoneme (sounds)-grapheme (letters) mapping. This activity will help children
- Identify the picture and the CVC word’s meaning
- Stretch the word into individual sounds orally
- Practice one-to-one correspondence with placing a manipulative down for each sound
- Identify which letter makes each sound
Why Is Phonemic Awareness Important?
Understanding that each letter has a sound and each word is made up of many sounds and letters is essential in early literacy. This is how children will decode and sound out words and then sentences.
Reading Skills Gained From Building Words
Sequence of Sound
Building words on a word mat helps children identify the sounds and place them in the appropriate order or sequence.
Understanding Symbols and Sounds
Building words also helps our children understand that letters (graphemes) go with a corresponding sound (phoneme). Putting them together is the beginning of reading.
Word Families
Finding out which words sound the same and look the same at the end will build upon children’s’ understanding of word families and patterns in words.
Encourages Writing
The building mat gives children an opportunity to practice their writing and spelling skills. Dry erase markers and a wet wipe are perfect for writing practice.
More CVC Word Resources:
Grab these CVC Word activities for fun whole-group activities, small groups and independent beginning reader activities for your kindergarteners!
Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning ReadersLearning Resources 3-Letter Word Puzzle Cards, Kindergarten Readniness, Self Correcting Puzzles, Ages 4+, Multi
ThinkFun Zingo Word Builder Early Reading Game – Award Winning Game for Pre-Readers and Early Readers
Wooden Reading Blocks | [5] Sets of Fun, Educational Spinning Alphabet Manipulative Blocks for Children w/ Easy-Grip Handles | STEM & Montessori Approved Toy for Pre-Kindergarten Boys & Girls Gift
Teacher Created Resources Word Shark: Short Vowels Game (7805), Multicolor
AIVANT 80 Words Self-Correcting Spelling Puzzle for Three and Four Letter Words with Matching Images,Perfect for Preschool Learning (40 Blocks Double Sided)
How To Use The Turkey Feather CVC Word Building Activity
BUILDING WORDS WITH KINDERGARTENERS
IT COULD PROVE OVERWHELMING TO INCLUDE THE WHOLE PUMPKIN PIE CARD SET. I WOULD RECOMMEND FOCUSING ON THE PICTURE CARDS FEATURING THE SHORT VOWELS STUDENTS ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH.
All you need to do is print one word building mat for each student onto white card stock and laminate them.
Print, cut, and laminate the pumpkin pie picture cards.
Children will draw a card and name it.
Then, they can place it in the box at the top of the word building mat.
Next, you have two choices. If you want students to use manipulatives for each sound, they can slide a counter into the box while saying each sound in the word before matching the sounds to letters.
If you want them to spell the word with letters, they can say each sound and place the corresponding letters in the box.
Finally, students will copy the letters onto the lines at the bottom of the page.
Erase, repeat!
Other Ways To Use The Turkey Feather CVC Word Building Mat:
Phoneme Mapping
Some students might not be ready to connect each sound in a word with a letter. However, they can still benefit a lot by saying each sound in the word while placing a counter into the box.
Create Their Own Cards
Have students think of additional CVC words they would like to practice. They can even draw their own picture card for the building mat
Just Use the Cards
Play a game with only the pumpkin pie cards! Students pick a card, name the picture, and stretch the sounds.
Our Favorite Turkey Themed Books:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
How to Catch a TurkeyTurkey Trouble
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey!
A Turkey for Thanksgiving
T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story
Turkey Trot: Children’s Funny Thanksgiving book Baby- 2nd grade Humor Turkey Book Holiday gift Parody Silly Dancing
Gobble Gobble Mr. Wobble
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