Hear the three sounds
Say sun normally, then stretch the sounds /s/ /u/ /n/. Blend them back together so the activity stays connected to a meaningful word.
Kindergarten and early first grade · AT YOUR OWN PACE
CVC Word Games for Kindergarten
CVC stands for consonant, vowel, consonant. In a word such as cat, children connect three sounds with three letters and blend them into a word. Word Builder gives children letter choices and a picture so they can build a word from left to right.
Play Word Builder →Free to play · No required login · Phone, tablet, or computer
How to find and play the game
The play link opens Word Builder directly. You can also find it through Reading, then Games. Listen names the target word. Tap the letters in order, and use Undo to change a choice. The displayed model is support, so copying it should not be described as independent spelling.
What to practice
Notice the middle vowel
Compare cat and cot aloud. The first and last consonants stay the same while the vowel changes. Use a picture or a short sentence to clarify unfamiliar words.
Build, blend, and read again
Place each letter from left to right. Read the finished word as a whole and use it in a spoken sentence. Repeat with a different word rather than only memorizing a letter sequence.
A sound-to-letter example: sun
sun
Sun has the sounds /s/ /u/ /n/. Match them to s, u, n, then blend: sun. The middle u represents the short vowel in this word. Ask “What changed?” when you replace s with r to build run.
TAKE THE IDEA OFF SCREEN
Build CVC words: practice together
- Draw three sound boxes. Say cat and write one letter in each box.
- Write sun. Change one letter to make run. Read both words aloud.
- An adult says pig. Build or write the word, then use it in a sentence.
Use your browser’s Print menu to print or save as PDF. Nothing your child writes here is collected.
Answer notes for grown-ups
c | a | t; change s to r; p | i | g. Note whether a model or adult clue was used.
Practice from Pip’s Classroom · pipsclassroom.com/cvc-word-games/
If your learner needs another step
If a learner struggles with the middle sound, say two familiar words with different vowels and compare them. Offer letter tiles before expecting handwriting. Keep digraphs and final-e words for a separate lesson so the pattern is clear.
Keep the experience flexible. Listen reads fixed instructions; it does not record a child. Help and models offer support, and there is no answer timer. Stars celebrate participation. They do not certify a school standard. Read how progress and evidence work.
Questions families ask
How many Word Builder activities are there?
The current Word Builder collection has 36 short-word activities. It shares completion stars with the word-building tasks in the mixed Reading Adventure.
Is this the same as tracing?
No. Word Builder asks children to choose letters. Word Trails in Writing guides the physical formation of letters in a smaller set of words. Both can be useful, but they practice different actions.
Can we save progress without a login?
Guest progress is associated with this browser’s saved guest identity. Guests sharing this browser share a garden, and clearing cookies can lose access to it. An optional grown-up account carries progress across devices. Drawings and drafts are temporary; they are not saved with stars.