CVC, CCVC and CVCe word families come alive in this Christmas spelling board game! Children read and spell over 300 CVC, CCVC and CVCe words across three different levels, all with a fun Christmas and winter theme that fits right into your December literacy centers.

Players take turns reading a word card aloud, spelling the word and spinning to move ahead on the board. (CVC means consonant-vowel-consonant, like fox or sip. CCVC words begin with two consonants, like flag or slab. CVCe words end in a silent e that makes the vowel say its name, like rice or note.) It is a great partner or small group center for sounding out words and getting kids reading.

With this Christmas spelling board game, you get

• Three levels of play: CVC, CCVC (blends and digraphs) and CVCe words
• Over 300 words to read and spell
• Christmas game boards with a spinner and word cards
• Color and black and white options
• A game for 2-6 players

Shuffle the cards, grab a spinner and let the spelling race begin!

What's Included

• Spell It Christmas CVC board game with 190 short vowel word cards, such as dig, ran, sip, bib, mop, cot and fox
• Spell It Christmas blends and digraphs board game with more than 175 word cards, such as slab and flag
• Spell It Christmas CVCe board game with word cards such as rice, jade, note and five
• A spinner for moving along the game path
• Color and black and white versions for low-ink printing
• Set up directions and game instructions, including a 2-player option

Why Teachers Love It

• Three levels in one game: CVC, CCVC and CVCe word cards let everyone play the same Christmas game at the right level.
• Reading and spelling every turn: One player reads the word aloud and the other spells it, so both children practice.
• Over 300 words: Plenty of word cards keep the game fresh all December long.
• Easy to differentiate: Focus on beginning sounds, ending sounds or one vowel sound at a time.
• Flexible group size: Play with 2-6 players in a partner or small group center.
• Printer-friendly: Color and black and white options give you choices for any printer.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Spelling CVC words: Children segment short vowel words into sounds and spell each one.
• Blends and digraphs: Children spell CCVC words that begin with two consonants. A blend is two consonants whose sounds are said together, like fl in flag, and a digraph is two letters that make one sound, like sh.
• Silent e words: Children practice CVCe words where the final e makes the vowel say its long sound.
• Beginning and ending sounds: Children name the first or last letter of a word as an easier version of the game.
• Short and long vowels: Children hear and spell the difference between short vowel words and long vowel silent e words as they move between levels.
• Reading words aloud: The reader decodes each word card for a partner.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Taking turns
• Listening to classmates
• Waiting during group play
• Following directions
• Building confidence during group participation

How to Use It

Step 1: Print and laminate the game. Card stock is strongly recommended for the playing cards so students cannot see through them. Printing on the white side of one-sided scrapbook paper also makes the cards opaque and attractive.

Step 2: Shuffle the word cards and place them upside down on the card box of the playing board. Choose the first player and place the game markers on the start position. The player to the left of Player 1 draws a card and, without showing it, reads the word aloud. Player 1 spells the word aloud or writes it out.

Step 3: If Player 1 spells the word correctly on the first try, they spin the spinner and move ahead that many spaces. If not, they stay on the same square without spinning. Play passes to the left, and the first player to reach the finish wins! When playing with only 2 players, the other player reads the card to the person spelling.

Materials You'll Need

• Card stock or one-sided scrapbook paper for the playing cards
• Laminating supplies
• Game markers for each player

Easy Differentiation

Every reader is at a different place with word families and spelling patterns. This game has many easy ways to meet each child where they are.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Focus on beginning sounds: children name the letter the word begins with and do not spell the whole word
• Focus on ending sounds: children name the letter the word ends with
• Use only words with one vowel sound, such as words with a medial "a" or "e"
• Start with the CVC level and a small stack of cards

For On-Level Practice

• Play the CVC or blends and digraphs level as written
• Have children spell each word aloud and then write it
• Play in a partner center with the 2-player option

For an Extra Challenge

• Move up to the CVCe level with silent e words
• Mix cards from two levels in one stack
• Have the speller read the word back and use it in a sentence
• Sort the cards by vowel sound after the game

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Practice target sounds as children read and say each word
• Let children write the word to build letter formation and fine motor control
• Model reading each word slowly, then have children repeat it
• Give extra processing time and keep groups small

Perfect For

• December literacy centers
• Partner games
• Small group word work
• Guided reading or RTI groups
• Intervention and tutoring
• Special education and speech therapy practice
• Homeschool phonics
• Christmas and winter themes

Standards

This Christmas spelling board game supports kindergarten and 1st grade phonics standards in Common Core, the TEKS (ELAR, adopted 2017) and the Virginia English SOL (2024):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS RF.K.2.d: Isolate and say the beginning, middle vowel and ending sounds in CVC words.
• CCSS RF.K.3.b: Connect long and short vowel sounds with their common spellings.
• CCSS RF.1.2.b: Blend sounds to say single-syllable words, including words with consonant blends.
• CCSS RF.1.3.b: Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words while reading each card.
• CCSS RF.1.3.c: Use the final -e pattern to read and spell long vowel words such as rice and note.
• CCSS SL.K.1.a: Follow agreed-upon rules, such as listening to others and taking turns, during group play.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS ELAR K.2.B.ii: Use letter-sound relationships to decode words, including CVC and CCVC words.
• TEKS ELAR K.2.C.i: Spell words with VC, CVC and CCVC patterns.
• TEKS ELAR 1.2.B.iii: Decode words with closed syllables and VCe syllables.
• TEKS ELAR 1.2.C.i: Spell words with closed syllables and VCe syllables.
• TEKS ELAR K.1.D: Work with others by following agreed-upon rules, including taking turns.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL English K.FFR.3.G: Read and spell words with short vowels, including words beginning or ending in a digraph.
• VA SOL English K.FFW.2.A: Spell one-syllable words with short vowels.
• VA SOL English 1.FFR.3.A: Decode and spell short vowel words with blends and digraphs, including CVC and CCVC words.
• VA SOL English 1.FFR.3.B: Decode and spell vowel-consonant-e words, such as CVCe words.
• VA SOL English 1.FFW.2.A: Use sound-letter matches to spell single-syllable words, including CVC, CCVC and CVCe words.
• VA SOL English K.C.1.A.i: Listen actively and follow agreed-upon rules for participating, such as waiting for a turn.

Add the CVC, CCVC, CVCe Word Families Game Christmas Themed to your cart and have three levels of spelling fun ready for your December centers. Shuffle the cards, spin the spinner and watch your readers spell their way to the finish!

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

1. On the 'thank you' page after checkout
2. In your email
3. Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account