Students of all abilities will benefit from this game. It is designed for differentiation so you can use it for intervention first, then consolidate with the game so every student improves their own fluency rates the more they play.

There are 8 sets, starting with individual vowels to ensure that each of the short vowel sounds have been mastered. This is one of the most frequent skill deficits I see in beginning readers who have fallen behind.

All new words require some decoding at phonemic level. We do that as we come to unknown words ourselves. We deconstruct the new word and apply the phonemic skills we have learnt.

The words I have used are:

Short a: bad, bag, ban, bat cat, dad, fat, had, has, hat, jab, lab, mad, man, map, nap, pan, rag, rat, sad, sat, tap, wag, wax, zap

Short e: bed, beg, den, egg, fed, gem, get, hem, hen, jet, keg, leg, men, met, net, peg, pen pet, red, set, ten, vet, web, wed, wet

Short i: bib, big, bin, bit, dig, din, dip, fig, jib, kid, lid, lip, mix, nip, pig, pin, pit, rib, rip, sip, sit, tip, wig, win, zip

Short o: bog, box, cob, cop, cot, dog, dot, fog, fox, hop, hot, job, log, lot, mob, mop, nod, pop, pot, rob, rod, rot, sob, top, wok

Short u: bud, bug hun, bus, cub, cup, cut, dug, gum, gun, hug, jug, mud, mug, nun, nut, pup, rub, rug, run, sub, sum, sun, tub, tug

Mixed Set 1: bed, box, can, cap, fin, fit, fix, fun, gas, get, ham, hit, hog, hum, lap, pet, pot, pug, ran, rod, rug, six, tag, ten yum

Mixed Set 2: bat, cab, cog, dam, dim, fan, fib, gag, gap, hid, jam, jig, jog, kid, kit, lap, mat rib, pad, pip, pod, ram, rim, tag, van

Mixed Set 3: bob, cap, cod, dab, did, fan, fat, gab, gut, hut, jot, lad, lit, nan, not, pal, pop, rid, rig, sax, tab, tap, tin, fop, tot

The eight sets are designed to cater for differentiation, especially group intervention. Use the short vowel sets when vowel sounds are a deficit and mix two sets if students are confusing two short vowel sounds. The illustrated cards provide the support for those students who need more scaffolding using any set. Start with illustrated cards and learning the words and their meaning if this is what is needed. Where two words appear in two sets I have included two interpretations of the word when I can, e.g., lap (person) and lap (cat). This will be helpful for those students who have a limited vocabulary, especially second language learners. Mixing sets will cater for a diverse range of ability.

There are flashcards in each set. You can use them instead of the illustrated cards or for classroom display. All the flashcards, illustrated word cards and boards are discreetly labelled so you can reconstitute sets easily.

Each board in a set has the same 25 words in different places. Using the illustrated cards or flashcards, the word is called and the players cover a word with a small object or disc. Alternatively, use dabbers or wipe-off pens on laminated boards. The first player (or group) to cross off or cover three adjoining words in a row wins. You can continue the game having a second round of winner/s who are the first with four adjoining words in a row. Continue to have winners with five adjoining words, or a whole row if time permits.

There are five SHORT VOWEL POSTERS included for classroom display.

I have many games at CVC level because I see students still at this level when they are older and skill deficits have compounded exponentially. Games are beneficial for all abilities, especially for those students who need more time and opportunities to learn. A variety of games is ideal. Games like this one can be played independently, freeing up teacher time.