Find the Code

Find the Code - Begin by Introducing our shape friends apple, ball, can, cube, diamond, egg, heart, insect, moon, noon, octagon, plus sign, sun, triangle, and up.  Explain that their beginning sounds will help us spell, decode, and read short vowel words. 

First Grade Student Work

Model the Activity

Have fun finding the code

Find the code for short vowel a words.  Children will find the code by writing the letter that represents the first sound heard for each shape represented.  As in the example below, children write the first letter for each shape sound represented, h for heart, a for apple, and t for triangle, spelling the word hat.  Next, children blend the sounds together /h, /a, /t/ to read the word hat. Reproducible practice sheets are available for short vowels a, e, i, o, and u.     

Completed Example - Find the code for short vowel a words

Reproducible - Find the Code for short vowel e words

Reproducible -Find the Code for short vowel i words

Reproducible - Find the Code for short vowel o words

Reproducible - Find the Code for short vowel u words

Resource for children

Video of Activities and Review - Pause for children to answer