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Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Short i (CVC) decodable sentences and word list

36 words with the letter i between two consonants, as in sit, and 10 sentences a child can sound out. Project them, or print the sheet.

Short i (CVC): the letter i between two consonants, as in sit. 36 words.

  • sit
  • sip
  • pin
  • bin
  • fin
  • win
  • tin
  • big
  • dig
  • fig
  • pig
  • wig
  • jig
  • lid
  • kid
  • did
  • hid
  • rid
  • bit
  • fit
  • hit
  • kit
  • pit
  • zip
  • tip
  • lip
  • dip
  • hip
  • rip
  • six
  • mix
  • fix
  • in
  • it
  • if
  • will

Tricky words used so far, read by sight: a, the, is, has, to.

About this pattern

Short i brings the words in, it, if and is into reach, so sentences start to sound like real talk. Many early readers meet the double letters at the end of words such as will; here the second l is just part of the spelling and the sound does not change.

What to say

Say /i/ as in itch with a short, tight sound. Have children blend the first two sounds together (si-) before adding the last one: si-t, sit.

How to use it

  1. Start in Word list: say the pattern, then read the words together with the coloured letters as your clue.
  2. Press Full screen (F), choose Sentences, one at a time, and use the arrow keys for the next sentence.
  3. Press Print for a sheet with the words and the numbered sentences to take home.

Ideas for class

  • Play Dig and Fix: one child reads a sentence, another acts it out.
  • Make a word ladder from sit to sip to tip to tap, changing one letter at a time.
  • Have students underline in, it and if in the sentences and read them in a flash.
  • Write a class book page: The pig is in the ...

Related

Questions

Is the word will a short i word?

Yes. The double l at the end is only spelling, so it is read like any other short i word. Its list is on this page along with the rest.

Why are words like in and it good early?

They are tiny, they are everywhere, and they follow the rules, so they build a child's confidence that reading is mostly sounding out.

How do I know each sentence is decodable?

Every word in these 10 sentences is either on the word list for short i (cvc) or for a pattern taught before it, or is one of the tricky words read by sight (a, the, is, has, to). The list is checked by a program, so a word that has not been taught cannot slip in.

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