CVC 'ap' Family Worksheet: Read, Color & Match!
This colorful take on the 'ap' word family (cap, map, nap) lets children ages 3-5 combine phonics practice with a coloring activity, which helps younger or more reluctant readers stay engaged through repeated decoding practice. Reading each word before coloring its matching picture reinforces that the printed word carries meaning, an important early concept for pre-readers. Drawing the connecting line between word and picture afterward adds a matching and visual-tracking layer on top of the phonics work.
Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Read the first 'ap' word together, sounding out the beginning letter and blending it with the familiar 'ap' ending. Let your child color the matching picture using any colors they like before moving to the next word. Once all the pictures are colored, go back and have your child draw a line from each word to its picture. Read through the completed page together at the end to reinforce the whole word family.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Have your child write one or two of the 'ap' words on a separate sheet after coloring.
- •Ask your child to think of other words that rhyme with 'ap,' even nonsense ones, and write them down together.
- •Go on a scavenger hunt for anything in the house that could wear a 'cap' or hold something like a 'map.'
- •Turn the coloring pictures into a simple story your child narrates out loud.
Tips for parents and teachers
Younger children in this age range may want to color before reading — it's fine to let coloring come first occasionally to keep the activity enjoyable, but try to return to the reading step before matching. Encourage your child to sound out each word rather than guessing from the picture, since guessing skips the actual decoding practice this worksheet is meant to build. A little wobble in staying inside the lines while coloring is completely typical and not something to correct at this stage.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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