Lesson 4: Forming short words correctly
✍️ WRITING (40 Lessons) •
🟢 A. Getting Started with Writing
Objective
I can listen for sounds, choose the right
letters, and write short words like cat
and sun in the correct order on the line.
Materials
- Short, sharpened pencil
- Eraser
- Ruled paper (primary lines preferred)
- Tracing Pad (below)
- Alphabet strip or chart (to check letters)
- Small picture cards of simple words (cat, sun, dog, map, etc.)
Mini-lesson — Building short CVC words
A short word like cat is made from sounds.
When you hear each sound and choose the correct letter,
you can build the word in the right order.
1. Listen to the sounds
- Say the word slowly: c-a-t.
- Touch your chin or tap the table for each sound.
- Count how many sounds you hear (3 sounds in cat).
2. Match sounds to letters
- The first sound is the beginning sound.
- The middle sound is often a short vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
- The last sound is the ending sound.
3. Put letters in order
- Write the first letter, then the middle, then the last.
- Check that the letters stay in a straight line.
- Say the word again and slide your finger under the letters.
4. Check your word
- Does the word look right like on your alphabet chart?
- Does it sound right when you read it?
- If it does not, fix one letter and try again.
Ask yourself:
"Did I hear all the sounds? Did I use the right letters?
Do my letters stay on the line?"
Picture strip: "Building the word cat"
Guided Practice — Short word warm-up
Use this routine to practice writing whole words
before you write phrases and sentences.
-
Look at a picture:
Choose a picture, like a cat or a sun.
Say the word slowly and listen for each sound.
-
Say the sounds:
Tap the table or your fingers as you say each sound:
/c/ - /a/ - /t/.
Count how many taps you feel.
-
Trace on the pad:
On the Tracing Pad, pick one word from the dropdown,
such as cat or sun.
Write the word in a neat row using light pressure.
-
Check the letters:
After a row, stop and check.
Are the letters in the right order?
Do they sit on the line?
Do they look like the word on your card?
-
Move to paper:
On your paper, write the same word in a row,
like cat cat cat cat cat.
Circle the row that looks the clearest.
-
Mix new words:
Try a different word, like map or pen.
Say the sounds, then write the word on the line.
You can use this short word warm-up at the start of
writing time to help your hand and brain work together.
Drag & Drop — Build and write short word rules
First, build each short sentence.
Then copy it onto your ruled paper.
Step 1 (on the device):
Drag the words into the correct order.
Release inside a slot to drop.
Step 2 (on paper):
Write each finished sentence on your paper
with words on the line and clear spaces.
Quick Check — Forming short words correctly
Answer each question about sounds,
letters, and short words.
This is a gentle 10-question check.
Next Gen Learning