Short A Worksheet

Students pick out pictures with the short a sound, write a to finish four picture words, and read and draw two short a sentences.

Format

Only the colour PDF is ready for this resource so far. The other formats are on the way.

At a glance
Years
F–1
Pages
2
A4
Type
Worksheet
Includes
Answer key
Answer key included

Last updated

Hearing, writing and reading the short a sound

Children listen for, write and read the short a sound. First they name six pictures and pick out the four with short a, so they have to listen for the vowel. Next they write the missing a in van, fan, bag and pan, tying the letter to the sound they just said. Last they read two sentences such as "A rat naps on a mat.", draw each one and reread it up to three times. The answer key marks every picture and describes what each drawing should show.

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Students will

Learning objectives

  • Identify pictures whose names have the short a sound.
  • Write a to complete a three-letter short a word.
  • Read a sentence made of short a words and show its meaning in a drawing.
From the creator

Teaching tips

1

Run the warm-up from the key before the picture check: say van, pig, nap, sun and fan, and have children tap their chin only on the short a words.

2

Ant is the one picture where short a comes first rather than in the middle. If a child leaves it unchecked, say "a-a-ant" slowly so they hear the vowel at the start.

3

Check the drawings for the details in the words: the second sentence needs a tan van with Dad inside, not just any car.

Differentiation

Meet every learner.

Ways to adjust the short a page for different learners.

Support

Hear it before writing

  • Say each of the six picture names with them, stretching the vowel: r-a-a-t.
  • Write the a in van together, then let them finish fan, bag and pan.
  • Read each sentence to them first, then have them read it back with you.
On level

Teach as written

  • All three sections, starting with the chin-tap warm-up from the key.
  • Students reread each sentence three times and check a box each time.
Extension

Write short a sentences

  • Write a third sentence using at least three short a words, then draw it.
  • List the short a words from both sentences and sort them by their last letter.

Curriculum alignment.

Each one is checked against the official document. Where the resource covers only part of a standard, the note says so.

Australian Curriculum: English · Foundation
AC9EFLY12Read and write CVC words

Students write the missing a to finish van, fan, bag and pan and read short-a words such as rat, mat and van; writing whole CVC words from sounds alone is not included.

AC9EFLY10Hear sounds in words

Students say picture names and decide which have the short a sound in them, listening for a sound in the middle of a word; blending and swapping sounds are not practised.

AC9EFLY04Read decodable text

Students read two short decodable sentences (A rat naps on a mat. Dad sat in the tan van.) and draw them to show the meaning; it is two sentences, not a longer text.

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Used it in class? Your notes help another teacher plan.

Short A Worksheet · 2 pages
Short A Worksheet: six picture boxes to check for short a, four pictures with v_n, f_n, b_g and p_n to finish, and two sentences to draw
Page 1 of 2 · Page 1
Short A Worksheet: answer key with rat, crab, hand and ant cards marked short a, the completed words van, fan, bag and pan and a tip
Page 2 of 2 · Page 2
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