Summary
Focuses on the short /a/ sound, with example words and mouth cues. Part of Smile and Learn's letter-sound phonics series.
Viewer safety
All ages
Gentle animated educational content, safe to show cold; still worth a quick preview to match it to your lesson.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Letters stand for sounds. The short /a/ says 'ah,' the sound at the start of 'apple' and the middle of 'cat.'
- What sound does the short 'a' make?
- Can you hear /a/ in the word 'map'? Where — beginning, middle, or end?
- Name another word with the /a/ sound.
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: sound, short a, letter, word.
Try it: List three words with the short /a/ sound. Underline the letter a in each.

