The process of making words is a research based method of teaching phonics skills. While it has proved to be an influential method for struggling readers, it is also a great way to teach phonics patterns to all young readers.

These word cards can be used to practice making words with your students when teaching the phonics skills in first grade. Included in this packet are pages with letter cards for each skill taught, as well as a page with suggested words they can build for the whole school year. This word list is also great to have on hand for a substitute. Students can also use the letter cards to practice building words during free time or center time. There are 33 sets of lists and letter cards for the following skills:

Short a
Short i
Short o & Words with Inflection –s
Short e
Short u, Consonants qu
Double Final Consonants & ck
Clusters with r
Clusters with l
Clusters with s
Final Clusters mp, nt, nd, st, sk
Digraph th, Base Wrds and –s, -es, -ed, -ing Endings
Digraphs ch, tch, Possessives with ‘s
Digraphs sh, wh, ph, Contractions with ‘s, n’t
Long a, Soft c, g, dge
Long i, Digraphs kn, wr, gn, mb
Long o & Long u
Long e vowel pairs & Word Endings with ng & nk
Vowel Pairs ai & ay, Contractions ‘ll, ‘d
Vowel Pairs oa & ow, Contractions ‘ve, ‘re
Compound Words
Short Vowel ea
R-Controlled Vowels ar, or, ore
R-Controlled Vowels er, ir, ur
Vowel Digraph oo
Vowel Digraphs/Spelling Patterns oo, ou, ew, ur, u, u_e
Vowel Combinations ou, ow, oi, oy, au, aw
Base Words (CVCe, CVC with –ed, -ing endings)
Words with y & ie
Base Words/Inflections with –er, -est (change y to i)
Words with Syllable –le
Words with Long i-Spelling Patterns igh, y, ie
Words with Suffixes –ful, -ly, -y
Words with Syllable Pattern CV
Words with Prefixes un-, re-