Secret Words: Spell Short a Words from First Sounds
Children hear the first sound of each picture (for example butterfly, apple, ghost), write that letter and blend the three letters to read a hidden short a CVC word.
Part of the pack
Phonics Level 1 Activity Book: Letter Sounds, Blending & CVC Words for Preschool & Kindergarten
This is page 47 of the pack. Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6

Made for your child
Spelling practice, made for your child
Their own spelling words turned into a pack: trace or look-cover-write-check, roll and write, a secret picture code, a word search, a crossword and a test, with their name in it.
Make a spelling packFree preview · free for members
Or start free: a word search with sight wordsCurriculum
- Phonics - Letter Sounds > Beginning Sounds
- Phonics - CVC Words > CVC Short A Families
How to use this worksheet
Name each picture, say its first sound and write the letter in the box below it. Then read the three letters together and write the secret word in the long box.
Materials needed
- Pencil
Extension activities
- 1Make your own secret word with three toys
- 2Read the secret words again tomorrow

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
More from Phonics Level 1 Activity Book: Letter Sounds, Blending & CVC Words for Preschool & Kindergarten
CVC 'ip' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'ip' family words sound by sound, dip, tip, sip, lip and rip, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
Write My Sound: Beginning Sounds Write and Colour Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children write the missing first letter of six CVC words (bat, ten, dog, lip, pot, hat) and choose the right first letter for duck, flower, caterpillar and mouse.
Phonics Level 1 Parent's Guide: What Level 1 Teaches
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Grown-ups learn what phonics is and what Level 1 covers: letter sounds first, then blending, then CVC word families, plus how to use the sound mats.
CVC 'ig' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'ig' family words sound by sound, big, dig, fig, pig and wig, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
Phonics Level 1 Sound Mat 2: Consonants and Consonant Digraphs
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children see the consonant sounds j, k, l, r, v, w, y and z and the digraph sounds th (two ways), sh, ch, zh and ng, with pictures and example words.
Letter Sounds m and b Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the m and b sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. m: mug, monkey, money, jam, comb and summer. b: bib, ball, bell, bubbles, rabbit and ribbon.
CVC 'am' Word Family Read, Colour and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read the 'am' words jam, dam, yam, ham and ram on their own and match each word to its picture, checking that they understood what they read.
Phonics Level 1 Answer Key
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Grown-ups can check every Phonics Level 1 page that has one right answer, page by page.
Related worksheets
Phonics Level 2 Sound Mat 3: Long Vowel and R-Influenced Vowel Sounds
Ages 4-7 · Pre-K–Grade 1Ages 4-7 · Reception–Year 2Ages 4-7 · LKG–Class 1Ages 4-7
Children see the long vowel sounds, the r-influenced vowels such as ar, er and or, and other vowel sounds such as ow, oy and oo, each with spellings and examples.
Hindi Story: Airavat ki Aynak (Airavat's Glasses) – Letter ऐ (ai) Sounds | कहानी ऐरावत की ऐनक
Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
A four-scene picture story: Airavat the white elephant loses his glasses and cannot see clearly until a little bird spots them on a tree. Children listen, look at the pictures, spot the ऐ words and answer two think-and-say questions, including where the glasses were found.
Phonics Level 2 Sound Mat 2: Consonants and Consonant Digraphs
Ages 4-7 · Pre-K–Grade 1Ages 4-7 · Reception–Year 2Ages 4-7 · LKG–Class 1Ages 4-7
Children meet more consonant sounds and the digraphs th, sh, ch, zh and ng, with pictures, spellings and example words.
Colour the औ Words – Hindi Letter औ (au) Colouring Worksheet | औ वाली चीज़ों में रंग भरो
Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
Children say each picture name aloud, decide whether it starts with औ, colour the matching pictures (औंधा घड़ा, औज़ार, औरत and औषधि) and the big outline letter, and put a cross on the rest. Sorting by first sound trains the ear and colouring builds hand control.
Letter उ Story: Uma's Birthday Gift | कहानी उमा का उपहार
Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
Uma the owl stays up all night to make a gift for her friend the squirrel, then flies to her home and says it is a birthday present just for her. Children listen, look at the four pictures, spot the words that start with उ and retell what happened in their own words.
Phonics Level 2 Certificate of Achievement: Super Reader
Ages 4-7 · Pre-K–Grade 1Ages 4-7 · Reception–Year 2Ages 4-7 · LKG–Class 1Ages 4-7
Children celebrate reading and spelling words with blends and digraphs, and tick what they can read: CVC words, blends and digraphs.
Hindi Story: Dadi ke Aujaar (Grandma's Tools) – Letter औ (au) Sounds | कहानी दादी के औज़ार
Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
A four-scene picture story: The garden swing is loose, Dadi arrives with a box of tools, tightens the screws, and everyone takes turns to swing. Children listen, look at the pictures, spot the औ words and answer two think-and-say questions, including what Dadi used to fix the swing.
Colour the आ Things: Hindi Letter आ Colouring Page | रंग भरो · आ
Ages 3-7 · Preschool–Grade 1Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Year 2Ages 3-7 · Nursery–Class 1Ages 3-7
Children listen for the first sound of each picture name and decide whether it starts with आ. They colour the आ pictures, cross out the others and colour the big letter.
Guides for this topic
How to Teach CVC Blending: A Step-by-Step Method That Works in Two Weeks
A step-by-step method for teaching CVC blending, covering continuous sounds, word families, common errors, and a 14-day plan that most children finish reading CVC words.
Phase 2 Phonics at Home: Sound Order, Blending Games, Worksheets
Phase 2 phonics at home: the five sound sets in order, oral blending, tricky words, a two-week routine, common mistakes, and free worksheets.
Reception Year Explained: EYFS Learning and How to Help at Home
A teacher's plain-English guide to the Reception Year: the seven areas of learning, Early Learning Goals, Phase 2/3 phonics, the RBA and home routines.
Reviews
Every worksheet for ages 3–6, no watermark
Members download the full library of 1,000+ worksheets and every activity pack without watermarks or daily limits. One year costs ₹999 in India or $20 elsewhere.
See membership plansOr download any worksheet free with a watermark (5 a day).


