a
The word a is spelled with the single letter a. In everyday speech it often sounds like “uh,” as in “a dog,” but the spelling is still a.
Kindergarten · High-Frequency Words
Kindergarten High-Frequency Words — Set 1
Kindergarten High-Frequency Words — Set 1 begins with ten short words for early sentences. Most can be spelled by listening for familiar sounds; a, I, is, and the each have one detail that deserves extra attention.
Word list
All 10 words in this list
Kindergarten · High-Frequency Words
- a
- I
- am
- at
- can
- in
- it
- is
- and
- the
10 words
What to notice when spelling these words
Most of these words can be built from sounds
In am, at, can, in, and it, a child can say the word slowly, listen from beginning to end, and match the sounds to familiar letters. The word and works the same way, but its final two sounds are close together: stretch the ending just enough to hear both n and d.
Have the child use these sound clues to build each spelling instead of trying to memorize the whole word as a shape.
Some words need one extra reminder
The other four words each have one spelling detail that deserves special attention. The individual notes explain what to listen for or remember.
Notes for particular words
I
When I means the person speaking, its spelling is always the single capital letter I—even in the middle of a sentence.
is
Listen for two sounds in is. The first is spelled with i. The final s sounds like z, but the word still ends with s.
the
The letters th spell the first sound. In everyday speech, the rest often sounds like “uh,” but write e at the end: t-h-e.