CVC Words word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

CVC Words word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this CVC words puzzle set for my Kindergarten and 1st grade students during our phonics unit. The kids were learning to sound out three-letter words with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern like "cat" and "dog." So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like cat, dog, hat, bat, rat, mat, log, frog, pig, wig, big, dig, bug, rug, hug, cup, sun, run, fun, bus, bed, red, leg, pen, ten, net, jet, pot, hot, mop, top, box, fox, and six. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the decoding practice finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether "frog" counts as a CVC word even though it has four letters but three sounds. The crossword I use for partners with picture clues. I added a couple simple animal and star drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for K through 1st grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers write three more CVC words on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.