When to use a C or K at the beginning of a word

Playing a game while eating a snack or a meal takes the “homework” feel out of teaching literacy. For more Eat Your Words activities, follow along on Instagram.

Do your kids know when to start a word with a c or a k? Here’s the trick. Help them make a visual of a cat and a kite.
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Words start with the letter c when the /c/ sound comes before the vowels a, o, or u. Words begin with k when the sound comes before i, or e (and sometimes /y/).
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Draw a capital C, then write two lowercase a s for eyes, an o for a nose, and a u for a mouth. Just add whiskers and ears and you have a cat.
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Then draw a capital K. Make it into a diamond, draw the large T shape that holds the kite together. Inside, write i and e and then trace the bottom to show the y. Just add a string and bows to make a kite.
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Finally, it's time to practice. Write a few word endings like _up for cup, _id for kid, _at for cat and _ey for key and ask you child to fill in the blank. Print the worksheet linked above to practice.