This CVC Word Building Activity for Preschoolers helps your child develop early reading skills using simple materials and turning them into a powerful phonics practice.
Teaching reading can feel overwhelming. You want simple. You want effective. This CVC word-building activity for preschoolers gives you both.
This easy-to-make DIY helps your child hear sounds, turn letters, and build real words with their hands, so learning feels natural and reading feels possible.
You use cardboard tubes, sponge pieces, and a few small toys. Because children learn best through movement and hands-on learning. This activity builds early reading skills without screens, worksheets, or stress. Your child builds CVC words using a rotating word builder, making learning feel like play, not pressure.
CVC Word Building Activity Materials & Supplies:
Below is the list of materials and supplies you will need for the CVC Word Building Activity:
- pool noodles
- a knife
- red and blue markers
- a recycled cardboard for the base
- a recycled toilet paper roll, or paper towel roll (in the video I am using a recycled foil cardboad roll, which is sturdier)
- a hot glue gun
- a wooden skewer
- Optional: Montessori Language Objects (I am also using Schleich Animal Figurines)
- Optional: Montessori Movable Alphabet
Watch The Video Tutorial:
How To Make the CVC Word Building Activity ~ Step-By-Step Instructions:
- First, cut a pool noodle into three ‘rings’. On the first ring, write the consonants (e.g. b, c, m, t).
- Then, on the second or middle ring, write the vowels – a, e, i, o, u.
- Next, on the third and final ring, write more consonants (e.g. t, n, p, d).
- After that, you will need to thread the rings onto a dowel or a cardboard roll, placing spacers if needed. Then, stand the dowel upright or lay it across a low box to keep it steady.
- Finally, invite your child to spin each ring to form and read new words.
How to use this activity:
Say each letter sound slowly. Encourage your child to turn one letter at a time. Blend the sounds together. Celebrate when your child reads the word. Change one letter to make a new word, so your child sees how sounds connect.
Simple Extensions:
You can try, adding picture cards for more word options. Invite your child to write the word on paper. Switch vowels to practice short /a, e, i, o, and u/ make sure you keep sessions short to protect focus.
Developmental Benefits:
There are many developmental benefits to be gained from this CVC word-building activity, such as:
Phonemic Awareness: This activity strengthens sound awareness. Your child says each sound slowly. Then blends the sounds into a word. This skill builds the foundation for confident reading.
Letter Recognition: This activity reinforces recognition of lowercase letters. Your child searches for the correct letter and turns it into place. Repetition builds mastery. Mastery builds confidence.
Fine Motor Strength: This activity strengthens small hand muscles. Your child grips, twists, and adjusts each sponge ring. Strong hands support writing later.
Cognitive Flexibility: This activity teaches how changing one letter changes a whole word. Cat becomes hat. ‘Hat’ becomes ‘hot’. Your child begins to see patterns. That pattern awareness supports fluent reading.
Focus and Independence: This activity invites concentration. Your child works slowly and with purpose. Because you step back, your child steps up.
Summary:
Early reading does not require complicated programs. It requires consistency. It requires a connection. This CVC word-building activity gives your child a clear path to blending sounds and building words, so that their confidence grows one small success at a time. You create a calm space. You offer simple tools. Your child does the rest.
For More Information on Language Learning…
Looking for more Montessori and DIY ideas you can use right away to promote literacy and phonemic awareness? Click HERE to explore the Montessori Language Course.
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