Valentine’s Day Real and Nonsense CVC Word Sort
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Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it. I cannot wait to pull out all of our Valentine’s Day-themed activities. One of the things I look forward to every February is leaving little love notes for my kids each day. I write something I love about each kid on a heart and place it inside a cute little mailbox I picked up from Walmart. The look of pure joy on my kid’s faces every morning when they open their mailbox is what inspired this free Valentine’s Day Real and Nonsense CVC Word Sort Activity!
*Pair with our February Print – That’s It! Kindergarten Math and Literacy Printables!
Valentine’s Day Real and Nonsense CVC Word Sort
Who doesn’t love sending and receiving mail right? This activity is a fun way to combine “mailing letters” with working on isolating and blending sounds in CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Let’s get started!
Supplies Needed:
- Laminator
- Scissors or Paper Cutter
- Box or Boxes (depending on the size)
- X-acto Knife
- Tape
Setting Up the Activity
To prep, start by laminating and cutting out the real and nonsense word mailboxes and envelope word cards.
Once everything is laminated and cut, cut out the hole on each of the mailboxes that says, “CUT OUT HERE.”
Then use an X-acto knife to cut the slits on the box you are using.
For this activity, I used the side of one open-back cardboard box, but you can use any type of box or container that you have on hand. Using open-back boxes makes it easier to retrieve the envelope cards and repeat the activity as many times as desired.
Once the slits are cut in the boxes, use tape to attach the mailbox pictures.
Helpful Tip #1: In a classroom setting, using a separate box per mailbox would allow you to check for sorting accuracy, but if you only have access to one box, you can easily place some baskets inside the box to collect the envelopes.
RELATED RESOURCE: CVC Word Centers & Activities for Early Learners
How to Play
To play, place the real and nonsense word cards in a pile. You can also spread them out in front of the box if you prefer.
Students will pick a card and read the word on the card. They will determine if the CVC word is a real or nonsense word and place it in the correct mailbox slot.
Continue until all of the CVC words have been read and sorted.
Helpful Tip #2: To turn this into a self-checking center, draw a colored dot or shape to match the color of the mailboxes on the back of each of the different pieces before laminating.
Extension Activities:
- After sorting the words, write a list of real and nonsense CVC words.
- Go on a “CVC word walk” in some picture books. Look for CVC words and create a list on a piece of paper.
Grab Your FREE Copy
Ready to do some word sorting? Get your free copy of this Valentine’s Day Real and Nonsense CVC Word Sort by clicking on the large, yellow download button at the end of the post!
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Thank you! This is perfect for one of my groups that I work with.