Help students build confidence in reading and spelling with this focused phonics pack exploring the -ad word family.

Designed for early readers who are learning to blend and segment simple words, this pack provides explicit practice with the short a sound through the words bad, dad, had, lad, mad, pad and sad. An optional extension introduces glad for students ready to blend adjacent consonants.

Students progress from blending individual sounds to reading whole words, changing sounds, spelling dictated words and reading short sentences. Sound markers and highlighted vowels support careful attention to each sound, while mixed practice and quick checks help teachers identify learning that needs revisiting.

This pack includes:

• Sound-by-sound blending and whole-word reading

• Mixed word practice and a sound-change activity

• Spelling prompts with answer slides

• Short sentences for applying decoding skills

• Quick checks for reading and spelling

• An optional extension using glad

• A three-page teacher guide with teaching prompts, answers, vocabulary support and selected New Zealand Curriculum Phase 1 links

Suggested use: Short, teacher-led sessions for whole-class teaching, small groups or targeted support, selected according to students’ phonics knowledge and readiness. Use alongside your systematic phonics programme to reinforce taught letter–sound relationships.

Phonics focus: Short a, -ad word family, blending, segmenting, reading and spelling CVC words; optional adjacent-consonant extension.

Format: Student slides and teacher guide supplied as PDFs.