Getting started
Short vowels and CVC words
CVC words are consonant-vowel-consonant words like “cat”, “bed” and “pin”. They are where most readers start, because the vowel says its short sound and every letter maps to one sound in order, so a student can blend the word without needing any exceptions explained.
A closed syllable is one where a single vowel is followed by at least one consonant, and that consonant closes the vowel in so it says its short sound. CVC words are the simplest closed syllables, which is why they come first in almost every scope and sequence.
Patterns and example words
Every word below is from the word list Cody generates from, not a hand-picked sample. The count is how many words in that list carry the pattern.
short a
18,590 wordsam and had has have having that as
short e
20,428 wordsthem went there get gets getting when well
short i
15,436 wordsis in it its him his with this
short o
11,108 wordsnot on gone cannot got gotten long longed
short u
6,351 wordsus but up just much such number numbered
1 syllable closed
6,962 wordsam is was and of had has it
Curricula that teach this
Cody generates material against the scope and sequence you already teach. This skill appears in Cody Curriculum, Custom Pattern Selection, UFLI Inspired, Wilson Reading System.
Common questions
What is a CVC word?
A word made of a consonant, then a short vowel, then a consonant: cat, bed, pin, hop, cup. Each letter makes one sound, in order.
Make a decodable story for this skill
Cody generates stories, word lists and worksheets constrained to the patterns a student has already been taught, so practice on short vowels and cvc words does not smuggle in something they have not met yet.