CVC Word Family Games for Short Vowels, Four-in-a-Row Phonics Activities
$1.00
Connect the Four Words—a set of 5 CVC word family phonics games inspired by classic four-in-a-row gameplay. Students draw a word card, read it aloud, and place it on the game board by matching the word to the correct rime/word family. Every turn includes real decoding practice, repeated reading, and meaningful review of short vowels.
Description
✍️Build strong short vowel decoding skills with Connect the Four Words—a set of 5 CVC word family phonics games inspired by classic four-in-a-row gameplay. Students draw a word card, read it aloud, and place it on the game board by matching the word to the correct rime/word family. Every turn includes real decoding practice, repeated reading, and meaningful review of short vowels.
These games are perfect for boosting CVC word reading accuracy, improving short vowel automaticity, and strengthening phonics fluency in an engaging, low-prep format. Students stay motivated as they try to connect four words across, down, or diagonally—and block their partner from doing the same!
Please preview before downloading
What’s Included (Word Families / Rimes)
You’ll get 5 game boards (one per short vowel) plus two sets of word cards for each game (Player 1 + Player 2).
Short A rimes: -ap, -ab, -ag, -ad
Short I rimes: -it, -ib, -ig, -id
Short O rimes: -op, -ot, -ob, -og, -od
Short U rimes: -um, -ut, -ub, -ug, -ud
Short E rimes: -en, -et, -eb, -eg, -eg (extra -eg practice on the board)
How to Play (Quick Overview)
Players take turns drawing a card without looking, reading the word aloud, and placing it on an open space with the matching spelling pattern (word family/rime). The goal is to connect four words in a row (across, down, or diagonally). If a player draws a word that cannot be placed because the spaces are filled, they lose their turn and return the card to the bottom of their deck.
⭐Use these games for:
- Phonics centers & literacy stations
- Small groups + intervention/RTI
- Tutoring and structured literacy / OG-style lessons
- Partner practice & early finishers
- Short vowel review and decoding warm-ups
Prep
Print, cut, shuffle, and play! For durability, print on cardstock and laminate the boards and cards (optional).
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Decodable Passages for CVC With Comprehension Questions CVC Phonics Bundle for Science of Reading Orton-Gillingham Aligned
