Free Short A Word Lists

Sep 13, 2023

2 min read

Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short a sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short a word families word lists.

My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing phonics skills, we do the same things over and over again: read the words, break the words into sounds, spell the words, write the words, etc… Without fail, words fly out of my head the moment I sit down to work with students. That is why I started making word lists. I can focus on what my students are doing instead of thinking about the next word we will work with at the table.

I also like teaching spelling with word families. Word families give structure and order to phonics instruction. We learn the sounds first, but then we organize our learning with word families. I even have a game called the Word Maker Game where students can build words within word families. It takes the pressure off of coming up with words, so students can focus on the sounds of the onsets and times of one-syllable words. Click here to check out the Word Maker Game! Like most resources on this website, it is totally free to you!

The Word Maker Game is awesome for independent practice, but when you are working with a small group, you want a word list. So, I made one for you. Click here to get a .pdf of Short A Word Families Word Lists. I left off any words I wouldn’t want to see in my classroom as well as some uncommon words. If you notice I missed an important word, let me know!