Short I CVC Words

Free printable short i phonics worksheets. Four practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, and rapid naming chart.

Grade: K Phase 1: Foundations Pattern: CVC with short i
sit hit bit fit kit pig big dig wig fig pin win

1 Decodable Reading Passage

A short, decodable story embedding short i words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.

Pip's Big Fig
Skill: Short I  •  Sight Words: the, is, a, and, to, was, it, on, his, her
Pip's Big Fig coloring page illustration
Coloring page included in PDF
Pip the pig had a big wish. He did wish for a big fig! The fig sat up on a tip, in the mud. Pip ran to dig. He dug and dug. The fig was so big that Pip did not get it. “I will not stop,” said Pip. Pip had a fix. He got his tin bin. He dug up all the mud in the bin. The big fig sat in it! “I did it!” said Pip. Pip sat to nip a bit of the fig. It was so good!
Circle or highlight all the short I words in the story above. How many did you find?
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Pip's Big Fig decodable reader mini-book
Free decodable reader Read “Pip's Big Fig” as an illustrated mini-book → The full printable story + coloring page, using only short i sounds your child has learned.

2 Word Sort

Cut out the word cards and sort them into the correct columns: Real Words vs Nonsense Words.

Real Words
Nonsense Words
sit
hit
bit
pig
big
dig
pin
win
lip
zip
zit
bim
hig
lig
rin
dib
fip
gid
vig
nip
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3 Phrasing Practice Cards

Practice reading these phrases for fluency. Cut out the cards and read them quickly and smoothly.

the big pig
sit on it
a bit of jam
dig in the mud
pin on her lip
rip the bin
a tin lid
tip and dip
Kim and the pig
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4 RAN Chart (Rapid Naming)

Read each word in the grid as quickly as you can. Time yourself and try to beat your best time!

Decodable RAN Chart — Short I
pin
sit
lip
pin
big
pig
big
pig
pig
sit
big
sit
pin
lip
lip
sit
Target words: sit, pig, big, pin, lip
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5 Word Search

Find and circle the short i words hidden in the grid. Words go across, down, and diagonally — a fun way to reinforce short i word recognition.

Short I Word Search
T
X
E
L
B
I
T
D
D
G
A
F
M
D
P
H
W
N
N
N
O
P
G
I
I
I
G
I
E
S
U
I
F
G
N
T
Y
R
G
I
A
G
X
I
O
D
G
B
L
T
S
O
B
V
T
C
Z
K
I
T
F
Y
Z
I
Q
O
M
P
Q
F
Z
I
H
P
G
W
I
W
I
N
Y
Y
G
J
M
K
T
X
H
G
K
Q
M
O
T
J
D
W
S
W
BIG BIT DIG FIG FIT HIT KIT PIG PIN SIT WIG WIN
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📖 Decodable Readers for Short I

Next step: once your child can sound out these words, have them read a matching decodable mini-book. Each Short I reader is a printable story + coloring page using only sounds they've learned.

← Short A CVC Words View All Phonics Skills Short O CVC Words →

Free Printable Short I CVC Words

The short 'i' sound, as heard in words like "sit" and "pig," is a crucial foundational phonics pattern for kindergarteners, often introduced after short 'a'. This CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) structure is essential for early decoding. A common challenge with short 'i' is its close proximity in articulation to short 'e' and short 'u'. Young learners might confuse "pin" with "pen" or "bin" with "bun" due to subtle mouth position differences. They might also over-articulate, adding an extra schwa sound, making "dig" sound like "di-guh." Emphasizing the quick, crisp sound, almost like a tiny "ih," helps distinguish it from other vowels and prevents these common mispronunciations as they begin to read words like "kit" and "lip." Our short 'i' worksheets provide targeted practice to build fluency and accuracy. Begin with the decodable passage from "Pip's Big Fig," guiding your student to sound out each word, focusing on that distinct 'ih' sound. The word sort activity helps them categorize words like "win" and "rip," reinforcing the pattern visually and phonetically. Use the phrasing cards to practice reading short 'i' words in meaningful groups, improving reading rhythm and comprehension. Finally, the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart is excellent for building speed and automaticity with our target words such as "tin," "zip," and "fig," allowing students to recognize these high-frequency short 'i' words instantly.

For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.