Exploring Word Families Through Onset and Rime

Developing an understanding of onset and rime in words can help students to notice words that share the same phonological pattern. This, in turn, can assist when spelling words that belong to the same word family. For example, students who have learned the word “cat” can apply this same spelling pattern to words that share the same rime, such as “mat”, “hat”, and “sat”.

This set of 20 worksheets (which can also be used as a classroom literacy display) has been designed to help your students build their knowledge of CVC word families. Each worksheet focuses on a particular rime, e.g. “at”. A series of words belonging to this word family are listed, but the onset is missing. Students must identify the missing onset and write it in the space provided. The worksheets contain visual cues to help students identify each word.

Multiple Uses for This CVC Phonics Resource

This versatile literacy resource can be used in a multitude of ways! Here are some of our top suggestions:

Whole-class Instruction

Project one of the posters/worksheets on your interactive whiteboard and provide each student with a mini-whiteboard. Have the students identify the word, then write the missing initial letter onto their whiteboard. Once everyone has finished, have the students flip their boards to show the letter they have written.

Individual Practice

Have students place the worksheets in dry-erase sleeves, then use a whiteboard marker to fill in the missing letters. This sustainable practice allows the resource to be used over and over again!

Classroom Display

Use the posters to create a colorful and appealing literacy display of CVC word families.

Easily Download and Print

Use the Download button to access the color PDF version of this resource.