Teach Your Child to Read Using Word Families
Word families are words that have the same ending. We teach them as rhyming words first, so children can hear the sound parts in a word. Once your child is able to read simple word parts, such as ‘ap’, they will be able to read more challenging words that contain smaller word parts.
When to Start Practicing Word Families
Your child might be ready to learn about word families when:
- your child is able to name most of the sounds that the letters make
- your child can identify rhyming words
Where to Start
Start with 3 letter words with a short vowel sound in the middle. These are often called CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.
Next you can add in some blends, such as FLap, CLap, or SLap in the -ap word family.
Here are some free activities for each group of word families. Click each word family for a Freebie.
Short A Word Families
This is an Easter activity with eggs to find, match and then record. There’s also an egg to colour by word family.
Here is a package of Short A word family activities.
Short E Word Families
Here is a package with Short E word family activities.
Short I Word Families
Here is a package with Short I word family activities.
Short O Word Families
Here is a package with Short O word family activities.
Short U Word Families
Here is a package with Short U word family activities.
