Winter Read & Match Compound Words: Free Printables
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Download these FREE Compound Word read-and-match printables with a holiday cookie theme and fun recording sheet! All 12 words are decodable rabbit (vccv) words!
Why It Works
This free Winter-themed printable resource is an engaging multimodal resource! It helps introduce young students to the concept of compound words and empowers them to read longer, two-syllable words with ease.
A compound word is a single word made by joining two smaller words together. Each smaller word has its own meaning, but when combined, they create a new meaning.
A word sum looks like this : sun + set = sunset
Teaching compound words is important because it helps students see that reading two-syllable words doesn’t have to be a scary task. Compound words offer a simple introduction to syllabication, allowing students to break words into smaller, easier-to-read parts.
Compound words also offer a simple introduction to morphology, seeing how each word part (morpheme) contributes to a word’s overall meaning.
👉 This FREE download includes:
- 12 Compound Word Cards: sunset, bedbug, cannot, catfish, bobcat, inlet, pigpen, upset, himself, uphill, bedrock, Batman.
- Cookie Sheet Recording Page
Why We Love It
Rather than asking young students to decode words using phonics skills they haven’t yet learned (butter + fly, which includes advanced concepts like y as a vowel and r-controlled vowels), you want to start with closed syllable words that kids can easily decode.
Students can then combine these simpler words to read the compound word and discuss how the meaning changes when the two parts are joined.
The words included in this activity are the first 2 syllable words that young students should read. They’re perfect for early first grade students because each word is made up of two closed syllables with short vowels (also called VC/CV words).
Students should be able to decode the words independently with success.
Using the Printables
📝 Prep work: Print the cookie cards. Cut them out and laminate for extended use.
Step 1: Create two piles of cards.
Students should separate the cards into two piles: Beginning syllables and ending syllables. It’s easy to tell which is which by simply looking at orientation of the word and the cookie half. This will make it easier to try out different syllables together.
Step 2: Try different card combinations.
Kids place the cookie cards on the baking sheet to try different combinations of beginning and ending syllables and build compound words. They will come up with plenty of nonsense words while they do it!
Step 3: Record real words.
When students create a real word, they should write it on the recording sheet, then set those two cards aside.
Repeat until you’ve used all the cards and written all 12 words on the recording sheet.
Tips & Extension Ideas
👉 Assess for Understanding: Choose one compound word.
Have students explain the meaning of the two separate word parts, then the meaning of the compound word. How is the compound word meaning different?
👉 Sentence Writing: Flip the recording sheet over and have students write simple sentences using two of the words.
👉 Silly Compound Words: Combine cards to make nonsense words. Choose two and draw a picture of what it would be.
For example, for the nonsense word “upfish,” a student may draw a picture of a fish with an arrow pointing up on its belly.
👉 Mark the Syllables: Separating and labeling the words helps students break longer words into manageable pieces.
Using dry-erase laminating sheets (they erase beautifully!) and a dry erase marker, students:
- Identify the vowels and mark them with a v.
- Find the consonants and mark them with a c.
- Locate the syllable division pattern (VC/CV) and divide between the consonants.
- “Swoop the syllables” by drawing a curved line under each syllable.
- Read each syllable out loud, then put the two syllables together to read the entire word.
Want to learn more about syllabication? Get all you need in our syllable types bundle.
Related Resources
Download & Print
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More Freebies: All About Rabbit Words + free printable!
I love these. The students are really going to enjoy them. We just talked about compound words and are a great activity to reinforce the skills. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Regina, Thank you so much for the lovely words. We’re so happy to hear this activity is helpful as you teach compound words to your students! 🙂 -Katie & Laura
Thank you for the awesome resource! I shared it with my team. I love how your resources line up with the IMSE skill sequence.
Hi Colleen,
You’re welcome! So glad you’re finding that they align with IMSE. I actually completed all three of IMSE’s courses (PA, OG+, Morphology) and enjoyed them very much.
-Katie