Short a games for Kindergarten are a fun way to introduce students to reading and spelling. In early Kindergarten, students focus on short vowel sounds. If you want your student to read in early Kindergarten, focus solely on letter sounds and the following short vowel sounds:

a_ as in apple

e_ as in elephant

i_ as in igloo

o_ as in octopus

u_ as in up

Introduce Short a First

It can be tempting to bombard Kindergartners with all the short vowel sounds at once. However, focus on one short vowel at a time. Start with short a. Some short a words include: ham, sat, ran, hat, mad, pan. Short a is the most critical sound in early literacy—it is the foundation on which everything else builds.

The following activity can help Kindergartners learn how to read and spell short a words.

Materials:

Get some colorful construction paper, a glue stick, stickers and a black marker. Write letters on the construction paper. Rip off the letters so they can function as independent units. Create lots of a, s, t, h, m, b, c, d, p, n letters. These are common letters. Pick some short a words for your student to spell.

Short a Games for Kindergarten:

In this activity, solely say sounds. Never say “tee” for /t/ or “ay” for /a/. Only say letter sounds. If you just say letter sounds, your student’s phonemic awareness and ability to read will progress much more rapidly.

Sample Teacher Interaction for Short a Games for Kindergarten:

Teacher: We’re going to spell “sat.” The frog sat on the lily pad. “Sat.” What’s the first sound in “sat?”

Student: sssss

Teacher: Find sssss.

Student finds the s letter and places s on the colorful construction paper.

Teacher: What’s the next sound in “sat?”

Student: aaaaa

Teacher: Yes, a_ as in apple. Find aaaaa.

Student finds the a letter and places a on the colorful construction paper.

Teacher: What’s the last sound in “sat?”

Student: /t/

Teacher Find /t/.

Student finds the a letter and places a on the colorful construction paper.

Complete some more short a words in same fashion. Here are some short a words you can select: bag, ham, bat, Pam, hat, ran, tap, cat, cab, had, rat.

After the student spells all the words, she’ll have a spelling mosaic. She can decorate her mosaic with stickers. By the end of the activity, you’re early Kindergarten student will be proud to see that she can spell!

If your early Kindergartner did well in this activity, she’s ready to read short a books!