Make CVC word practice fun and engaging with this literacy card game focused on short vowel CVC words (A, E, I, O, U). This easy-to-use game is perfect for beginning readers, ESL/ELL students, and young learners who need extra practice decoding simple words and identifying vowel sounds.
The game is differentiated into two levels, so you can easily support different groups in your class or gradually increase difficulty as the year progresses. To play a card, students must read the CVC word or figure out the missing vowel and say it aloud—making every turn a quick decoding mini-lesson.
What’s Included
- Set 1: 64 cards with an image and a complete CVC word
- Set 2: 64 cards with an image and a CVC word with a missing vowel
- 16 UNO-style playing cards: Draw Two, Wild, Skip, and Reverse
- Each full set includes 80 cards for plenty of replay value
All five short vowels are included, giving students repeated practice reading and decoding a wide variety of simple, high-utility words.
Skills Practiced
- Decoding and reading CVC short vowel words
- Identifying and pronouncing short vowel sounds
- Building reading fluency and word recognition
- Listening and speaking during gameplay
- Turn-taking, following directions, and cooperative play
How to Use This CVC Card Game
This resource is a full color PDF. Once downloaded, simply:
- Print the cards on cardstock for durability.
- Lamination is recommended so you can reuse them year after year.
- Cut out the cards and store them in a small box, pouch, or zip-top bag.
- Choose the full-word set or the missing-vowel set depending on your learners.
- Play in small groups, literacy centers, intervention groups, or during reading rotations.
Because the game plays like a classic UNO-style card game, students quickly understand the rules and stay engaged while getting tons of reading practice.
Classroom Ideas
- Literacy centers for beginning readers
- ESL/ELL phonics practice focusing on vowel sounds
- Small group intervention for students needing extra decoding support
- Partner games during guided reading or stations
- Fast finisher activity that’s meaningful and skill-based
Perfect for Teachers Searching For:
- CVC short vowel card games
- Phonics games for beginning readers
- ESL / ELL CVC word activities
- Printable CVC literacy centers
- Short vowel A E I O U practice
- UNO-style reading games for kids
- Low-prep phonics games for small groups
- Hands-on decoding activities for K–2
How to Assemble & Use This Resource
This is a digital download. No physical product will be shipped.
After printing the resource, I recommend laminating the cards before cutting. This increases durability and ensures that you can continue using this set again and again throughout the year.
Also Available on Teachers Pay Teachers
Prefer shopping on TpT? You can purchase this resource here: Literacy Card Game: CVC Words Short A–E–I–O–U | ESL & ELL
Pair It With This Resource from Hot Chocolate Teachables
For even more CVC and phonics practice, this card game pairs perfectly with:
CVC Words Short Vowel Board Game Bundle – a collection of fun, printable board games that reinforce short vowel CVC words through speaking, reading, and simple sentence practice. Use the board games for guided practice and the card game for fast-paced review and stations.