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How to run CVC word practice with the spinner
Work one short vowel at a time, five to ten minutes a day. The trick is read first, picture second: students sound out the letters, then use the emoji to check the word, so the picture confirms the reading instead of replacing it.
- Choose a vowelShort a is on the wheel now. Pick another vowel's tab and press Put these on the wheel. Once students know two or more vowels, use the Mixed list.
- Spin and tap the soundsStudents say each sound while tapping a finger for each one, /c/ /a/ /t/, then sweep a finger under the word and blend it: cat.
- Check with the pictureAfter the word is read, the emoji confirms it. If a student says "kitty" for cat or "taxi" for cab, point back to the letters and blend again.
- Write or build itStudents write the word on a whiteboard or build it with letter tiles, saying each sound as they place the letter. Then change one letter to make a new word.
- Take the pictures awayWhen a group reads a vowel list easily, load Mixed vowels (no pictures). It shows who is decoding and who has been reading the pictures.
Words with x, like fox and six
In fox, box, six and fix, the x stands for two sounds, /k/ and /s/, so some phonics programs teach those words a little later. Switch those rows off if your class hasn't met x yet.
CVC words by short vowel, with picture cues
112 common CVC words: 18–20 for each short vowel plus a 20-word mixed list with no pictures. Emoji appear only where the picture clearly shows the word, and every word has a short sentence to read or say. Only real, everyday words are included.
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| cat 🐱 | The cat sat on a mat. | |
| bat 🦇 | A bat can flap its wings at night. | |
| hat 🎩 | The man has a tall hat. | |
| rat 🐀 | A rat ran fast. | |
| cap 🧢 | Put on a red cap. | |
| map 🗺️ | Look at the map. | |
| van 🚐 | We sat in the van. | |
| can 🥫 | A can of beans. (Can also means able: I can hop.) | |
| pan 🍳 | Eggs cook in a pan. | |
| bag 🛍️ | Put it in the bag. | |
| ram 🐏 | A ram is a sheep with big horns. | |
| cab 🚕 | A cab is a taxi. | |
| yam 🍠 | In the U.S., sweet potatoes are often called yams. | |
| tag 🏷️ | The tag has a name on it. | |
| gas ⛽ | The van needs gas. | |
| nap 😴 | The cat had a nap. | |
| sad 😢 | The pup is sad. | |
| jam | Jam on a bun. | |
| ran | The dog ran to the van. | |
| sat | We sat on the rug. |
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| bed 🛏️ | Get in bed. | |
| hen 🐔 | A hen sits on ten eggs. | |
| pen 🖊️ | Get a red pen. | |
| net 🥅 | The ball went in the net. | |
| jet ✈️ | A jet is a fast plane. | |
| web 🕸️ | A spider spins a web. | |
| leg 🦵 | Hop on one leg. | |
| ten 🔟 | Count to ten. | |
| red 🔴 | Stop at the red light. | |
| gem 💎 | A gem is a shiny stone. | |
| wet 💧 | The dog got wet. | |
| yes ✅ | Yes, you can. | |
| vet | A vet helps sick pets. | |
| pet | Pet the cat gently. | |
| get | Get the red pen. | |
| let | Let me help. | |
| fed | We fed the hen. | |
| beg | The dog sat up to beg. |
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| pig 🐷 | A pig digs in mud. | |
| pin 📌 | Pin it to the wall. | |
| six 6️⃣ | A bug has six legs. | |
| bin 🗑️ | Put trash in the bin. | |
| win 🏆 | Did we win? | |
| kid 🧒 | A kid sits on the rug. | |
| dig | Dogs dig in the dirt. | |
| kit | Get the art kit. | |
| fix | Can you fix it? | |
| wig | A wig is hair you can put on and take off. | |
| bib | A bib keeps a baby clean. | |
| lid | Put the lid on the pot. | |
| fin | A fish has a fin. | |
| zip | Zip up your coat. | |
| lip | Press your lips together to say m. | |
| sit | Sit on the mat. | |
| big | A big pig. | |
| hid | The cat hid in the box. |
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| dog 🐶 | The dog got a bone. | |
| fox 🦊 | A fox has a red tail. | |
| box 📦 | Put it in the box. | |
| pot 🍲 | Soup is hot in the pot. | |
| mop | Mop up the mess. | |
| top | Spin the top. | |
| log | A frog sat on a log. | |
| hop | Hop like a frog. | |
| hot | The sun is hot. | |
| cob | Corn grows on a cob. | |
| rod | Fish with a rod. | |
| jog | Jog to the gate. | |
| dot | Put a dot on the i. | |
| not | It is not hot. | |
| got | I got a hug. | |
| sob | To sob is to cry hard. | |
| hog | A hog is a big pig. | |
| cot | Nap on a cot. |
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| bug 🐛 | A bug is on the rug. | |
| sun ☀️ | The sun is up. | |
| bus 🚌 | Get on the bus. | |
| cup 🥤 | Sip from a cup. | |
| mug ☕ | A mug of hot cocoa. | |
| hug 🤗 | Hug a teddy bear. | |
| nut 🥜 | A squirrel hid a nut. | |
| tub 🛁 | A duck in the tub. | |
| run 🏃 | Run in the sun. | |
| gum | Gum is sticky. | |
| rug | Sit on the rug. | |
| mud | The pig is in the mud. | |
| pup | A pup is a baby dog. | |
| bun | A hot bun. | |
| hut | A hut is a little house. | |
| jug | A jug of milk. | |
| cut | Cut the paper. | |
| cub | A cub is a baby bear. |
| Word | Sentence to read or say | On the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| had | Short a. We had fun. | |
| wag | Short a. Dogs wag their tails. | |
| tap | Short a. Tap the drum. | |
| pad | Short a. Write on a pad. | |
| met | Short e. We met at the bus. | |
| den | Short e. A fox naps in a den. | |
| set | Short e. Set the cup down. | |
| peg | Short e. Hang it on a peg. | |
| fit | Short i. It will fit in the box. | |
| dip | Short i. Dip a chip. | |
| tip | Short i. the tip of a pencil | |
| him | Short i. Wave to him. | |
| job | Short o. Do your job. | |
| nod | Short o. Nod if you agree. | |
| lot | Short o. a lot of fun | |
| pop | Short o. Pop the bubble. | |
| hum | Short u. Hum a tune. | |
| rub | Short u. Rub your hands. | |
| dug | Short u. The dog dug a hole. | |
| fun | Short u. Recess is fun. |
Every word is a real, everyday three-letter word with a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant. Emoji were added only where the standard emoji clearly shows the word, and no emoji is used for two different words.
7 ways to use the CVC words spinner
Vowel corners
Tape a, e, i, o and u signs in five spots around the room. Spin a word from the mixed list; students read it silently and walk to the vowel they hear. Read it aloud together once everyone has chosen.
Silly sentence spin
Spin two words and build the silliest sentence that uses both: "The pig sat in a cup." Students write it, read it to a partner and draw it.
Change one sound
After a spin, change one sound to make a new real word: cat to hat, hat to hit, hit to hot. Change the first sound, then the last, then the middle; the middle (vowel) change is the hardest.
Choral blending on the board
Press F and spin with Space. The class says the sounds together, tapping fingers, then blends on your signal. There are no ads in presentation mode, so the screen stays on the words.
Short e and i side by side
Short e and short i are the hardest pair to hear apart. Load both and have students hold up an e or i card after each spin before reading the word aloud.
Five minutes at home
Send families the share link for the vowel you're on. They spin, the child reads, and the picture lets a grown-up check the word without a key. The words travel inside the link; there's nothing to sign up for.
Move on to word families
Once students blend CVC words easily, keep the vowel and rime fixed and change only the first sound (bat, cat, hat, flat) on the word family wheel.
CVC words spinner: frequently asked questions
What is a CVC word?
A CVC word has three letters in the pattern consonant, vowel, consonant, and the vowel makes its short sound: cat, bed, pig, dog, bug. Each letter stands for one sound, so CVC words are usually the first words children learn to sound out and blend. Words like ship or duck have three sounds too, but they use digraphs (sh, ck), so most programs teach them next.
Which short vowel should I teach first?
Many phonics programs start with short a, because it appears in many simple words and is easy to hear, then add short i, o, u and e in an order set by the program. Whatever the order, short e and short i are the hardest pair to tell apart, so give them extra practice side by side, with pairs like pen and pin or bed and bid.
Are fox, box and six CVC words?
Yes, by spelling they are consonant-vowel-consonant, and most CVC lists include them. The catch is that x stands for two sounds, /k/ and /s/, so fox has four sounds, not three. Some teachers save x words until students blend three-sound words easily. Words ending in s that sounds like /z/, such as his and has, are often taught later for the same reason.
Should CVC practice use pictures?
Pictures help with meaning and new vocabulary, which matters for English learners. The risk is that students read the picture instead of the letters. Use picture cues while a vowel is new and as a check after the word is read, then switch to words alone, like the mixed list here, to see who is truly decoding.
How do I help a child who can say the sounds but can't blend them?
Try continuous blending: stretch the sounds into each other without stopping, "mmmooop," instead of saying separate sounds. Start with words that begin with sounds you can hold, like m, s, n and f (mop, sat, nap, fin), before words starting with quick sounds like b, t or g. Say the word slowly, then a little faster, until it snaps together.
Can I add my own CVC words or pictures?
Yes. Type each word on its own line, with an emoji after it if you like (tub 🛁), or paste a whole list at once. Remove duplicates catches a word typed twice. To keep your list, copy the share link: the words travel inside the link, so it never expires and needs no account.
How the randomness works
When you press Spin, ChalkSpin asks your browser's Web Crypto generator for a random number and uses it to choose the winning slice before the wheel starts turning. The animation then lands on that slice. Each slice's chance is its share of the wheel: 20 equal words means a 1 in 20 chance each.
Weights are always visible: a word marked *2 gets a slice twice as wide, so everyone can see why it comes up more. Turn on Remove winner if a word shouldn't come up twice in a round.
- Generator
- Web Crypto (
crypto.getRandomValues), in your browser - Odds
- Equal to each slice's size on the wheel
- Weights
- Shown openly as wider slices, never hidden
- Repeats
- Off when Remove winner is on
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- Stays in this browser unless you share or save it