Looking for a reading game that’s right up everyone’s alley?

With our CCVC words (consonant, consonant, vowel, consonant) game, students match the words on their bowling ball cards with the pins. 

🎳 No More Striking Out With Reading 

Through this activity, students will show they can decode regularly spelled single-syllable words.

To play, the students will choose a bowling ball card and read the word. If they have the matching CCVC bowling pin, they’ll remove it from their set. 

The onset consonant blends and digraphs your students will practice decoding include:

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

Challenge fast finishers who already understand the concept to produce rhyming words for each CCVC word. 

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by using an anchor chart or poster as a visual reference while working through the CCVC words.  

Get our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies here! 

Get More CCVC Games Out Of 1 activity! 

We created this resource for your reading center as an independent practice activity. You can also use it for small group and full-class instruction through scoot activities, lesson reviews, formative assessments, and more! 

We suggest these: 

👟 CCVC Match Relay Race

Split the class into two teams and have them line up in their group on one side of the room. Place the bowling pins in a central location between teams. Shuffle and divide the CCVC cards between teams, putting the card piles face-down in front of each line. When you say, “Go!” the first player in each line will grab the top card, run to the other side of the room, read it, and bring the matching pin back to their team. Then the next person in line does the same, and so on. The team that correctly matches the pins to their cards first wins.

🎭 Charades

Divide your class or small group into 2 teams and project the word cards for referenceTeams will take turns sending up 1 student to act out the word on the card for their team while you keep score and hand the cards to the players. If after 30 seconds, their team guesses the correct word, they get 1 point. Once every student has had their turn to act out a card, the game is over, and the group with the highest points wins. 

🃏 Memory Match

Bonus points for this version of the game as it helps students with their memorization skills! Print 2 sets of bowling ball cards and lay them all face down. Each player takes their turn flipping 2 cards at a time until either finds matching CCVC words and sets the pair aside to keep score. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Why stop there? We have plenty more CCVC activities and teaching resources to stack your lesson plans!  

teaching resource

SPLAT! CCVC Word Game

A set of 36 task cards to practice decoding and reading CCVC words.

teaching resource

BUILD IT! CVC, CCVC, and CVCC Words

Encourage your students to practice decoding and spelling CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words with this set of 15 task cards.

teaching resource

CCVC Word Work Mat

Practice decoding and spelling simple words with this set of 24 CCVC picture task cards.