CVC Roll and Read Games: Short Vowel Phonics Games
Print-and-play reading games for two players in kindergarten and 1st grade. Roll a die, read a short vowel word, color it in. All you need is a die and two crayons: nothing to cut out, nothing to laminate.
The games
Five kinds of game. Every word is a short vowel CVC word, and every picture passed a check that children name it the way we meant.
Roll and ReadA page for each vowel, and two mixedRoll one die and find that row. Read the next word and color it in your color. When a row is full, whoever colored more of it wins its prize.
Word Family Four in a RowA page for each vowelThe die picks a word family: -at, -an, -ad. Find a word in that family, read it out loud and color it. Four in a row wins.
Vowel Four in a RowTwo mixed pagesThe die picks a vowel sound. Find a word with that sound and read it. Good for telling short a from short e.
Picture Four in a RowTwo mixed pagesThe same game with pictures: say the picture's name and listen for the vowel. For children still learning to read the words.
Rhyme LineTwo mixed pagesRead a word, find the word that rhymes with it and color both. Squares side by side make a line; the longest line wins.
Why reading games work for CVC words
Blending a three-letter word takes many tries before it is easy. A worksheet asks a child to read ten words; a game of Roll and Read has them reading thirty or more, because each roll is another turn. The partner checks every word, so the reading is out loud and gets corrected on the spot.
Start with one vowel, usually short a, and play its Roll and Read and Word Family games. Move to the next vowel when the words come easily. The mixed games at the end are for telling the vowels apart. They pair with the CVC word work worksheets and the Level 1 decodable readers, which use the same words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a roll and read?
A roll and read is a reading game with a die. A child rolls, finds the row or column for that number and reads a word in it out loud. It turns reading practice into turns and chance, so children read many more words than they would on a worksheet.
What do I need to play?
One die and two colored pencils or crayons for each pair of players. Every sheet has its rules at the top and two boards, so a pair can play a rematch. Nothing needs cutting or laminating.
What age are these games for?
Kindergarten and 1st grade: children who know their letter sounds and are blending three-letter words. Picture Four in a Row needs no reading, so it also works for a child just starting to hear the vowel in a word.
What are CVC words?
Three-letter words made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant: cat, bed, pig, hot, sun. They are the first words children decode, and every word in these games is one of them.
Can a child play alone?
The games are for two players, but a child can play against a grown-up or a sibling who just checks the reading. A turn only counts when the partner agrees the word was read right, so the partner is the checker.
How do these fit with the decodable readers?
They practise the same short vowel words as the Level 1 decodable readers. Play the game for a vowel, then read the mini-book for it.
Printable Scholar