Looking for a fun way to work on r-controlled vowel syllables? This r-conrolled syllable activity is a great way to get practice with ar, or, and er (which can be spelled er, ir, or ur) sounds. Use this winter theme r-controlled vowel activities as a fun snowman activity with first graders during January! Simply print r controleld vowel sort to play and learn with with free snoman printable phonics activity!
R-Controlled Vowel Syllables
This week the cold has hit our area. We live in Georgia and are used to fifty-degree winter days in December and January, but it has been unusually cold going into Thanksgiving. And with all the cold weather we are not used to, it felt like the perfect time to create a snowman activity. One phonics skill my little girl needs to constantly review is the r-controlled vowel syllable. So today we have a fun r-controlled vowel sort and it focuses on the “er” sound.r Controlled Syllable
What are r-controlled vowel syllables? R-controlled vowel syllables are vowels that have an r after them. When a vowel is followed by an r, the vowel doesn’t make a short vowel sound or a long vowel sound. In fact, you do not hear the vowel sound anymore. It is said that the r controls the vowel and makes it own sound. YOu may have also heard this be called the Bossy r.
There are three main types of r-controlled sounds.
- Ar – makes the sound that you hear in car. Other “ar” words star, bark, scar, large, and depart.
or – makes the sound that you hear in the words for. You can also hear it in words like stork, thorn, scorn, and forgive.
- er – this one actually has three ways to make this sound. You can make it with an “er”, “ir” or “ur”. There really aren’t any rules for which letter to use when the “er” sound is in the middle of the word. For this reason, it is important to give our little ones lots of opportunities to read and see these words often.
And that is what today’s activity is all about.
r Controlled Vowel Activities
First, print off the snowmen on card stock paper.
Next, cut off the bottom part of the snowman. The part with the word written on it.
And that is it. You are ready for this activity.
R- Controlled Vowel Sort
The activity is quite simple. Have your little one pick up one of the words and read it out loud. You can remind them that “er”, “ir” and “ur” all make the same sound. Sometimes I have circled the two letters that make the “er” sound and above them write “er” to help her remember that the “ur” and the “ir” make the “er” sound too.
Once the word is read, all she has to do is look for a picture that matches the word she just read aloud.
And that’s it….a fun, wintery way to review those r-controlled vowels.
Snowman Activities
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