CVC -ad Word Family Worksheets for Preschool (No Writing)
Age Group: 3–5 years No. of Pages: 5 Format: Printable PDF
These 5 printable pages introduce the CVC -ad word family to children aged 3–5 who are not writing yet. Children read words like dad, mad, pad, sad, match them to pictures and listen for sounds.
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About This Worksheet
Dad, mad, pad and sad sound almost the same because they all end in -ad. Hearing and seeing that shared ending helps your child decode new words instead of guessing.
No pencil is needed: children point, circle and match, so this pack suits early readers who are not yet writing.
Activities in This Pack
Five activities practise the -ad family:
- CVC -ad word list to read together (dad, mad, pad, sad)
- Match each picture to its -ad word
- Beginning sounds: find the first letter of each -ad word
- Select the matching -ad word
- Select the matching picture
Skills Your Child Practises
- Reading -ad words such as dad and mad
- Blending sounds: d-a-d, dad
- Hearing the beginning sound in pad and sad
- Recognising the -ad ending by sight
- Visual matching of words and pictures
How to Use This Worksheet
- Say each -ad word aloud before your child looks for it on the page.
- Stretch the sounds in pad: p-a-d, then say it fast.
- Ask which letter is different in pad and sad.
- Keep sessions short, one or two pages at a time.
- When your child is confident, move on to the next word family.
About the -ad Word Family
Every -ad word uses the short a sound, as in apple. In this pack your child meets dad, mad, pad and sad. When those feel easy, say other -ad words aloud together: bad, had, lad and glad. Ask your child which letter changes each time.
Say it together: “Dad is glad, not sad.” Point to each -ad word as you say it.
What’s Next?
Next: CVC -ag Word Family Worksheets for Preschool, the -ag word family. For more, see all our CVC worksheets.
Where This Worksheet Fits
This pack is part of our short a CVC word families. For each family, start with the no-writing pack, then move on to reading and writing:
- -ab: No writing · Reading and writing
- -ad: No writing (this pack)
- -ag: No writing · Reading and writing
- -am: No writing
- -an: No writing · Reading and writing
- -ap: No writing · Reading and writing
- -ar: No writing · Reading and writing
- -at: No writing · Reading and writing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which -ad words are in this pack?
The word list uses dad, mad, pad and sad. When those feel easy, try other -ad words out loud, such as bad, had, lad and glad.
What sound does -ad make?
It joins the short a sound, as in apple, with the final d. Say it slowly: d-a-d, dad.
Does my child need to write in the -ad pack?
No. Every -ad activity uses pointing, circling or matching, so it suits children who are not writing yet.
How many pages are in the -ad pack, and what do I need?
There are 5 printable pages. You only need a printer and crayons or a pencil for circling.
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Looking for more? Browse all our CVC word family worksheets and English worksheets for preschool and kindergarten.