Quick summary
My First Words Book (Level 3) is a free 31-page A4 PDF for children aged 5–7 who know their letter sounds and can write letters alone. Your child blends sounds into words, reads 20 short-vowel word families (-at, -an, -ap… -ump), writes simple words and reads first sentences. Five review pages, a progress page and a certificate are included, plus a guide for parents and teachers.
At a glance
- Ages 5–7 (Level 3 of the ABC series)
- 31 pages · A4 PDF
- 20 word families across the 5 short vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
- Free download, no sign-up
- Best laminated (or in a plastic sleeve) with a wipe-clean marker
How does this book help your child?
Word families teach children to read words in chunks, not letter by letter:
- Word families build on onset and rime: the onset is the first sound of a word (the c in cat) and the rime is the vowel and what follows (-at). Learning common rimes helps children decode new words when reading and spell words when writing.
- Blending builds phonological awareness: hearing and putting sounds together is a skill that Reading Rockets describes as strongly predictive of reading and spelling acquisition.
- Change one sound, get a new word: cat → hat → mat shows why families work, and your child sees the pattern instead of memorizing each word.
- Hearing the middle sound: each vowel gets review pages (sort it, rhyme it, read it) that train children to hear the vowel in the middle.
- First sentences and sight words: short sentences use sight words that do not follow the rules (the, a, I, is, on, in, my, to, and, has) so your child can read a whole line.
Ages are approximate. If your child still mixes up letter sounds, spend more time on Level 2 first. That is normal. If reading stays very hard for months, talk to your child’s teacher or a specialist.
What is inside the file?
- 20 word-family pages (short a: -at -an -ap -ad; short e: -et -ed -ell -est; short i: -it -in -ip -ig; short o: -ot -op -og -ock; short u: -ug -un -ub -ump). Each page has four steps: (1) sound it out, (2) read the family, (3) write it: trace the word, fill in the missing sound, write it alone, (4) read the sentence and copy it.
- 5 short-vowel review pages to sort, rhyme and decide if a word is real or silly.
- Guide for parents and teachers with how to blend, tools and set-up, what to do if your child gets stuck, and the sight words, plus a “Meet the short vowels” page.
- Progress page and certificate and a closing page with a QR code to more free printables.
Guide for parents and teachers: how to use the book
How to blend
- Use short, clean sounds: say /c/, not “cuh”. Long sounds like /s/ /m/ /f/ can be stretched: “sssun”.
- Put a finger under each box: c… a… t. Then slide the finger fast under all three: cat!
- Start with two sounds if three are hard: blend the family first (“a-t → at”), then add the first sound.
- Same family, new word: change only the first sound: cat → hat → mat.
Set up
- Print on A4 paper at 100% (Actual size), not “Fit to page”.
- Laminate the pages or use clear sleeves; use a wipe-clean marker and a soft cloth.
- Optional: magnetic letters or letter tiles to build the words with your hands.
- Little and often: one family a day, 10–15 minutes, is better than many pages at once.
If your child gets stuck
- Drop the pressure: stop, smile, and come back later. Stuck is part of learning.
- Go one step back: read the family chip together, then try one word only.
- Real things help: point to a real cat, cap or sock in the house and say its sounds.
- Praise the try: praise the effort and the sounds that were right, not only the full word.
Review pages are for checking, not testing. If reading stays very hard for months, talk to your child’s teacher or a specialist.
Next step: when your child reads the word families and first sentences with confidence, keep reading together every day with short books and real-life words, and explore more free printables on the site.
Frequently asked questions
At what age is Level 3 right?
Level 3 is made for ages 5–7, for children who know their letter sounds and can write letters alone (Level 2, ABC Handwriting Workbook).
What is a CVC word and a word family?
A CVC word has a consonant, a vowel and a consonant, like cat. A word family is a group of words that share the same ending, like cat, hat and mat (-at). In this book every word has one of the five short vowels.
What if my child cannot blend three sounds yet?
Start with two sounds: blend the family first (“a-t → at”), then add the first sound. Go one step back whenever your child is stuck.
How do I print and reuse the pages?
Print on A4 at 100% (Actual size). Laminate the pages or put them in clear sleeves, write with a wipe-clean marker and wipe with a soft cloth.
Is it really free?
Yes. The download is free with no sign-up for personal and classroom use. Please share the link to this page and do not sell or re-upload the file.
License and terms of use
- Allowed: print and laminate for personal use with your own children, and in the classroom or learning sessions.
- Allowed: share the link to this page with others.
- Not allowed: selling the file or any part of it, uploading it to another website, channel, group or store, or presenting it as someone else’s work.
- Commercial use (books or products for sale) requires written permission.
© Art & Craft Academy. All rights reserved. For questions, use our contact page.
Printed and laminated version: coming soon.
Sources
Ages are approximate and for guidance. Every child develops at their own pace. Sources reviewed October 2026.
