Spelling activity

Here’s a simple yet effective activity I created to help children learn how to spell CVC words. To get started, you’ll need a table-top pocket chart for displaying sounds, picture cards of CVC words, and the matching graphemes (letters) that make up each word. Each child should also have their own small board and a set of magnetic graphemes.

The activity is straightforward and highly interactive:

1. Begin by choosing a CVC picture card and clearly say the word aloud, encouraging the children to repeat it. Emphasise the first and last sounds to help tune their ears to the phonemes.

2. Together with the children, break the word down into its individual sounds—for example, d-o-g, dog.

3. Ask the children to use their magnetic letters to build the word, matching each sound to the correct grapheme.

4. Have the children model reading the word by saying each phoneme followed by the whole word—for example, p-i-g, pig.

This hands-on approach reinforces both phonemic awareness and early spelling and reading skills in a fun and engaging way.

Once children have got the hang of this, the activity can easily be extended to include CVCC words (nest, milk) and CCVC words (flag, plop). You can also adapt it into a writing activity where children practise spelling the words by writing them out instead of using magnetic letters.