CVC Word Checklist & Assessment Tracker
This is the assessment sheet the rest of the site is built to support. Every CVC word sits in a row with three tick columns — reads, blends, spells — so a judgement about a child's reading is recorded once, in the same place, and can be compared across a term.
The three columns are deliberately separate. A child who can blend c-a-t but not recognise it instantly is at a different point than a child who reads cat fluently but spells it kat, and the next teaching step is different for each. Recording all three makes the gap visible.
Short A Checklist 59 words
| Word | Phonetics | Reads | Blends | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bad | /bæd/ | |||
| bag | /bæɡ/ | |||
| bat | /bæt/ | |||
| cap | /kæp/ | |||
| cat | /kæt/ | |||
| dad | /dæd/ | |||
| fan | /fæn/ | |||
| fat | /fæt/ | |||
| gap | /ɡæp/ | |||
| ham | /hæm/ | |||
| hat | /hæt/ | |||
| jam | /dʒæm/ | |||
| lab | /læb/ | |||
| lad | /læd/ | |||
| lap | /læp/ | |||
| mad | /mæd/ | |||
| man | /mæn/ | |||
| map | /mæp/ | |||
| nap | /næp/ | |||
| pad | /pæd/ | |||
| pan | /pæn/ | |||
| pat | /pæt/ | |||
| rad | /ræd/ | |||
| ram | /ræm/ | |||
| ran | /ræn/ | |||
| rap | /ræp/ | |||
| rat | /ræt/ | |||
| sad | /sæd/ | |||
| sag | /sæɡ/ | |||
| sap | /sæp/ | |||
| sat | /sæt/ | |||
| tab | /tæb/ | |||
| tag | /tæɡ/ | |||
| tan | /tæn/ | |||
| tap | /tæp/ | |||
| tax | /tæks/ | |||
| van | /væn/ | |||
| wag | /wæɡ/ | |||
| wax | /wæks/ | |||
| yam | /jæm/ | |||
| zap | /zæp/ | |||
| back | /bæk/ | |||
| hack | /hæk/ | |||
| jack | /dʒæk/ | |||
| lack | /læk/ | |||
| pack | /pæk/ | |||
| rack | /ræk/ | |||
| sack | /sæk/ | |||
| tack | /tæk/ | |||
| bash | /bæʃ/ | |||
| cash | /kæʃ/ | |||
| dash | /dæʃ/ | |||
| hash | /hæʃ/ | |||
| lash | /læʃ/ | |||
| rash | /ræʃ/ | |||
| bass | /bæs/ | |||
| lass | /læs/ | |||
| mass | /mæs/ | |||
| pass | /pæs/ |
Short E Checklist 31 words
| Word | Phonetics | Reads | Blends | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bed | /bed/ | |||
| beg | /beɡ/ | |||
| den | /den/ | |||
| fed | /fed/ | |||
| get | /ɡet/ | |||
| hem | /hem/ | |||
| hen | /hen/ | |||
| jet | /dʒet/ | |||
| led | /led/ | |||
| leg | /leɡ/ | |||
| let | /let/ | |||
| men | /men/ | |||
| met | /met/ | |||
| net | /net/ | |||
| pen | /pen/ | |||
| pet | /pet/ | |||
| red | /red/ | |||
| set | /set/ | |||
| ten | /ten/ | |||
| web | /web/ | |||
| deck | /dek/ | |||
| neck | /nek/ | |||
| peck | /pek/ | |||
| bell | /bel/ | |||
| fell | /fel/ | |||
| sell | /sel/ | |||
| tell | /tel/ | |||
| well | /wel/ | |||
| mesh | /meʃ/ | |||
| less | /les/ | |||
| mess | /mes/ |
Short I Checklist 52 words
| Word | Phonetics | Reads | Blends | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| big | /bɪɡ/ | |||
| bid | /bɪd/ | |||
| bin | /bɪn/ | |||
| bit | /bɪt/ | |||
| dig | /dɪɡ/ | |||
| dim | /dɪm/ | |||
| dip | /dɪp/ | |||
| fin | /fɪn/ | |||
| fit | /fɪt/ | |||
| gin | /dʒɪn/ | |||
| him | /hɪm/ | |||
| hip | /hɪp/ | |||
| hit | /hɪt/ | |||
| kid | /kɪd/ | |||
| kit | /kɪt/ | |||
| lid | /lɪd/ | |||
| lip | /lɪp/ | |||
| lit | /lɪt/ | |||
| mid | /mɪd/ | |||
| mix | /mɪks/ | |||
| nip | /nɪp/ | |||
| pig | /pɪɡ/ | |||
| pin | /pɪn/ | |||
| pit | /pɪt/ | |||
| rid | /rɪd/ | |||
| rig | /rɪɡ/ | |||
| rip | /rɪp/ | |||
| sip | /sɪp/ | |||
| sit | /sɪt/ | |||
| tin | /tɪn/ | |||
| tip | /tɪp/ | |||
| wig | /wɪɡ/ | |||
| win | /wɪn/ | |||
| zip | /zɪp/ | |||
| kick | /kɪk/ | |||
| lick | /lɪk/ | |||
| pick | /pɪk/ | |||
| sick | /sɪk/ | |||
| tick | /tɪk/ | |||
| wick | /wɪk/ | |||
| fill | /fɪl/ | |||
| gill | /ɡɪl/ | |||
| hill | /hɪl/ | |||
| mill | /mɪl/ | |||
| pill | /pɪl/ | |||
| sill | /sɪl/ | |||
| dish | /dɪʃ/ | |||
| fish | /fɪʃ/ | |||
| wish | /wɪʃ/ | |||
| hiss | /hɪs/ | |||
| kiss | /kɪs/ | |||
| miss | /mɪs/ |
Short O Checklist 41 words
| Word | Phonetics | Reads | Blends | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bob | /bɒb/ | |||
| bog | /bɒɡ/ | |||
| box | /bɒks/ | |||
| cod | /kɒd/ | |||
| cog | /kɒɡ/ | |||
| cop | /kɒp/ | |||
| cot | /kɒt/ | |||
| dog | /dɒɡ/ | |||
| dot | /dɒt/ | |||
| fog | /fɒɡ/ | |||
| fox | /fɒks/ | |||
| god | /ɡɒd/ | |||
| got | /ɡɒt/ | |||
| hop | /hɒp/ | |||
| hot | /hɒt/ | |||
| job | /dʒɒb/ | |||
| jog | /dʒɒɡ/ | |||
| log | /lɒɡ/ | |||
| lot | /lɒt/ | |||
| mob | /mɒb/ | |||
| mop | /mɒp/ | |||
| nod | /nɒd/ | |||
| not | /nɒt/ | |||
| pod | /pɒd/ | |||
| pop | /pɒp/ | |||
| pot | /pɒt/ | |||
| rob | /rɒb/ | |||
| rod | /rɒd/ | |||
| rot | /rɒt/ | |||
| sob | /sɒb/ | |||
| sod | /sɒd/ | |||
| dock | /dɒk/ | |||
| lock | /lɒk/ | |||
| mock | /mɒk/ | |||
| rock | /rɒk/ | |||
| sock | /sɒk/ | |||
| posh | /pɒʃ/ | |||
| boss | /bɒs/ | |||
| loss | /lɒs/ | |||
| moss | /mɒs/ | |||
| toss | /tɒs/ |
Short U Checklist 47 words
| Word | Phonetics | Reads | Blends | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bug | /bʌɡ/ | |||
| bun | /bʌn/ | |||
| bus | /bʌs/ | |||
| but | /bʌt/ | |||
| cup | /kʌp/ | |||
| cut | /kʌt/ | |||
| dug | /dʌɡ/ | |||
| fun | /fʌn/ | |||
| gum | /ɡʌm/ | |||
| gun | /ɡʌn/ | |||
| gut | /ɡʌt/ | |||
| hug | /hʌɡ/ | |||
| hum | /hʌm/ | |||
| hut | /hʌt/ | |||
| jug | /dʒʌɡ/ | |||
| lug | /lʌɡ/ | |||
| mud | /mʌd/ | |||
| mug | /mʌɡ/ | |||
| mum | /mʌm/ | |||
| nun | /nʌn/ | |||
| nut | /nʌt/ | |||
| pup | /pʌp/ | |||
| pub | /pʌb/ | |||
| rub | /rʌb/ | |||
| rug | /rʌɡ/ | |||
| run | /rʌn/ | |||
| sub | /sʌb/ | |||
| sum | /sʌm/ | |||
| sun | /sʌn/ | |||
| tub | /tʌb/ | |||
| tug | /tʌɡ/ | |||
| buck | /bʌk/ | |||
| duck | /dʌk/ | |||
| luck | /lʌk/ | |||
| puck | /pʌk/ | |||
| suck | /sʌk/ | |||
| tuck | /tʌk/ | |||
| buff | /bʌf/ | |||
| cuff | /kʌf/ | |||
| huff | /hʌf/ | |||
| muff | /mʌf/ | |||
| puff | /pʌf/ | |||
| bush | /bʊʃ/ | |||
| push | /pʊʃ/ | |||
| bull | /bʊl/ | |||
| full | /fʊl/ | |||
| pull | /pʊl/ |
CVC Checklist FAQ
What does each column mean?
Reads — the child recognises the word instantly, without sounding it out. Blends — the child can sound out the three letters and push them together. Spells — the child writes the word correctly when it is dictated.
When is a word mastered?
When all three columns are ticked and the child still reads it correctly a week later. Ticking “reads” the same day you taught the word is the most common mistake in assessment.
How often should I assess?
Every four to six weeks per vowel is enough for most children. Assess one vowel at a time — assessing all 230 words at once tells you very little and takes half a lesson.