Using A and An Worksheets for 1st Grade
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Prints on one US Letter page; the answer key is a separate page. Print at 100% / "Actual size" on US Letter paper. Free for personal and classroom use.
Skill: Choosing a or an by the first sound of the next word
Teaching tips and what to try next
Suited to first graders who can hear the first sound of a spoken word and read short sentences. Have your child read each finished phrase aloud, since the wrong article usually sounds odd once spoken. Practice with naming words is in Common and Proper Nouns, and listening for vowel sounds is in Short and Long Vowel Sounds.
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About this worksheet
Little words matter. We say a ball but an apple, and the choice depends on the sound at the start of the next word. First graders are expected to use determiners such as articles correctly, and this first grade worksheet practices the two most common ones, a and an, with simple words and short sentences.
The page has sixteen items in two parts. Part A has ten words, such as egg, kite and umbrella, and children write a or an in front of each word on the line. Part B has six sentences with a choice in parentheses, such as "We ate (a / an) orange," and children write the word that fits. Two sentences place a describing word before the noun, such as old map and red hat, so children learn to listen to the word that comes right after the article. Every word on the page follows the simple vowel rule, so there are no tricky exceptions yet.
How to use it: say each word aloud and ask your child to listen to the first sound. If it starts with a vowel sound, like a, e, i, o or u, use an. Otherwise, use a. Saying both choices out loud, such as "a egg" and "an egg," lets most children hear which one sounds right. After the page, point to objects around the room and take turns naming them with a or an.
The answer key shows every article. For naming words in sentences, try our Common and Proper Nouns worksheet. For listening to vowel sounds, try our Short and Long Vowel Sounds worksheet.