Fall Phonics Activity for Kindergarten | Scarecrow Middle Sound Sort
Looking for a fall phonics activity that gets kids listening for the middle sound in CVC words? Set out these scarecrow mats and let your students sort the hay bales! Each bale has a picture. Kids name the picture, say the sounds in the word, and match it to the scarecrow with the vowel they hear.
I like pairing the sort with the Scarecrow Sounds worksheet. Students can keep the mats beside them as they color the middle vowel and write the whole word. It works as a kindergarten literacy center or a short vowel review for first grade.
How to Set Up the Scarecrow Short Vowel Sort
Print the five scarecrow mats and cut apart the hay bale picture cards. Put the cards in a tray or spread them out face up so students can see the pictures. Set out all five vowel mats for review, or start with two if your group is still learning to tell the sounds apart.
- Say the word. Pick a picture card and say its name aloud. For example, say cat.
- Tap the sounds. Say /c/, /ă/, /t/ and tap once for each sound. Ask, “What sound did you hear on your second tap?”
- Sort the card. Match the sound to the letter on a scarecrow mat. The cat card goes on the a mat.
When students have trouble naming a picture, say the word together before asking them to listen for the vowel. The tub and web pictures are good ones to name before you send kids off to work independently.
Use the Scarecrow Sounds Middle Sound Worksheet
Keep the center pieces out while students complete the worksheet. After they sort a picture, have them find it on the page, color the matching vowel, and write the entire word. For cat, they color a and write cat. They color u for tub, i for dig, and e for web.
For partner work, one child can sort a card while the other records the word. Then they can switch jobs. For a quick check, ask a child to read back one word and point to the vowel they colored.
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More Fall Centers for Kindergarten
If your class is on a scarecrow kick, try my scarecrow number order craft at your math center. For another way to practice short vowels, see my turkey CVC middle sound sort.
