Free Word Family Worksheets – Short a

Learning word families if great for vocabulary expanding and early literacy for young learners. These Kindergarten and 1st grade printable worksheets are for early reading and decoding.  They also help to increase reading fluency.

According to researchers Wylie and Durrel, there are 37 common word families: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw, ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.

We have extended word families, including less common word families such as; ap, ag, ab.

Word Family Short O Worksheets

Word Family Short E Worksheets

Word Family Short I Worksheets

Word Family Short U Worksheets

Learning Short A Word Families

The short a sound is one of the most common vowel sounds in English. It is the sound you hear in words like cat, hat, and bat. Young readers and spellers can benefit from learning short a word families – groups of words that share the same spelling pattern and short a sound. Here are some useful tips for teaching and learning short a word families:

Introduce the Short A Sound

Start by helping students recognize the short a sound. Say simple short a words like cat, map, cap, etc. and have students repeat the words, listening for the vowel sound. You can use pictures or flashcards of short a words to make the connection between the letter a and the /ă/ sound it makes in these words.

Teach Rhyming

Rhyming is key to learning word families. Explain that rhyming words end with the same sounds, and give examples of short a rhymes: cat/hat, cram/jam, dash/mash. Say rhymes aloud and allow students to come up with their own short a rhymes as well. Rhyming games make great short a word family activities.

Explore Word Families

Once the short a sound is established, introduce the -at word family which shares that vowel sound. Explain that cat, bat, hat, mat, pat all belong to the -at family. Make a list of short a -at words, posted on the wall or on flashcards. Go through other short a families like -ap, -am, -an in the same way.

Make Word Chains

Connecting words in a word family helps cement the spelling patterns. Have students make -at word chains aloud, going around the room saying cat, bat, sat, mat… until they can’t think of any more. This can be done as a written exercise too. Seeing and saying chains of words in a family will reinforce the relationships.

Practice Spelling and Reading Words

Provide opportunities to spell and read short a word family words. Dictate words for students to spell, or have them select the correctly spelled word in a multiple choice exercise. Make short a word wheels for spinning, flashcards for reading, or word searches to find hidden short a words. The more exposure through games and activities, the better mastery.

By introducing the short a vowel sound, practicing rhyming, connecting words through word families, and providing interactive spelling and reading practice, you can help students gain confidence with this common early reading and spelling pattern. Mastering short a word families provides a strong foundation for future literacy success.

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