Short and Long Vowels

Letter Sounds

Letter sounds are the first building block in learning to read. It is so important that our students have a strong foundation in this skill for future success. Consonant sounds are usually pretty simple for students to grasp, but because vowel sounds vary they are often more challenging. Teaching short and long vowels is an incredibly important lesson.

Sound it Out

Once students are able to recognize the letters it is time for them to learn the sounds. They need to be able to understand both short and long vowel sounds. They also will need to grasp various patterns that help them understand whether the sound is short or long. We often start with teaching the short vowel sound because the patterns are slightly easier for students. Words like cat are simpler than words like cake. 

Resources

The short and long vowels phonics worksheets are an easy to use resource that has all the practice your students need for reviewing and mastering this skill. There are 82 pages included. For each vowel, with both long and short sounds, you will get multiple sheets to use. Students will brainstorm words for each letter with each sound. They will then write sentences using those words. Each student will create a mini booklet for the short and long vowels. They will color code the sounds and do some cut and paste activities.

Repetition

We know that in order for students to master a skill they need repetitious practice. This helps the skill become part of their memory, where they can complete the task without having to overthink. The short and long vowels phonics worksheets will give your students that repetitive practice. You will have little to no prep other than making copies for students. Grading is also super easy with this resource.

When to Use

I like to use the short and long vowels phonics worksheets in multiple ways in my classroom. I first determine how many of my students have already mastered this skill. If most of the class has then I may use these worksheets as morning work to get some quick review in. Or it might go in my early finishers folder. If I have students who need more practice then I will add it into the center time packets or maybe send it home for additional practice. It is such a great resource that you can use it in multiple ways.