Want to boost engagement during word study? These mixed-vowel word family games for -ACK, -ICK, -OCK, and -UCK help students listen for the medial Short Vowel sound while they isolate, identify, and blend onsets and rimes in words like sack, kick, rock, and luck.
The games are aligned to Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Letter Name-Alphabetic Spellers (3rd Edition), Unit 4, Sort 38, but they work alongside any phonics or word study program. They're designed for students in the middle of the Letter Name-Alphabetic stage who have already worked with same-vowel word families, digraphs, and blends but still sometimes confuse the short vowel in the middle of CVC words.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Pick Your Snack Board Game (Partner Game)
Students take turns drawing a picture or word card and covering the matching CVC word on the game board, trying to collect the most words (snacks) to win. Friendly competition keeps students engaged, and the recording sheet makes it easy to check that students understood each word family.
- Teacher directions
- Pick Your Snack game board
- Game cards
- Student-friendly directions
- Recording sheet
- Answer key
Spin, Cover, Build, Write (Independent Activity)
Students choose one of 4 picture boards, spin for a word family or clue, and cover a picture that matches. Then they build and/or write the word shown in the picture.
- Teacher directions plus ideas for extending the picture boards
- 4 picture boards
- 2 spinners with student-friendly directions
- Recording sheet
- Answer key
ALSO INCLUDED
- Black and white and color versions of everything
- Word list of all included words
- Answer keys for both activities
HOW THIS RESOURCE HELPS YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS
- Gives students two engaging ways to practice the same word families
- Mixing word families with different vowels keeps students focused on the Short Vowel sound
- Works for partner centers, small groups, early finishers, and independent practice
- Recording sheets build in accountability and quick assessment
- Uses the same game formats as the rest of Unit 4, so students don't have to learn new rules each week
- Ready to print and use with no extra prep beyond cutting cards
Want every game in this unit? This game set is included in the Mixed Vowel Word Families Short A I E O U Unit 4 Letter Name Words Their Way Games Bundle, so you can get all of the Unit 4 games together and save.
ABOUT THE LETTER NAME-ALPHABETIC STAGE
This stage is where students connect the letters they know to the sounds those letters make. Students at this level recognize most letters and are ready to study beginning and ending consonants, word families, digraphs and blends, and short vowels in CVC words. Instruction focuses on hearing the sounds inside a word and matching each one to the letter that spells it. By sorting pictures and words by sound, students build the letter-sound knowledge that supports both early spelling and early reading.
NEED PRINTABLES FOR THE ENTIRE LETTER NAME-ALPHABETIC LEVEL?
See the Letter Name-Alphabetic Printable Bundle (contains all 4 resources)
Or, Shop By Activity:
- Word Study Notebook
- Word Searches
- Fill in the Blank Word List Activity
- Weekly Spelling Homework & Word Lists
Copyright © Tammy Roose, Tarheelstate Teacher.
The purchase of this resource gives the buyer permission to download and copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution is also limited to single classroom use. Copying for other teachers, school-wide use, or school systems is only allowed with the purchase of additional licenses.
