Vowels

Vowel resources for students! These vowel printables are free PDFs that will support your readers with charts, games, lists, worksheets, and so much more! These resources were created with your students in mind, making them highly engaging as well as teacher friendly! Grab these wonderful freebies and expand their reading skills with our READ Curriculum!

What Are Vowels?

Vowels are super special letters in our alphabet that help us turn our talking into words. There are five main vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. Sometimes, Y joins the party and acts like a vowel too, but only when it feels like it!

Vowels can have different sounds. We have “long vowels” and “short vowels.” A long vowel is when the vowel says its own name. Like in the word “cake,” the A says “A” as in its name. It’s like it’s standing tall and proud, saying, “Look at me!”

Short vowels are when the vowels make a quicker, shorter sound. They don’t say their name. Instead, they make sounds like the A in “cat,” the E in “bed,” the I in “fish,” the O in “dog,” and the U in “cup.” It’s like they’re in a hurry and can’t say their full name.

Sometimes vowels team up and make a new sound together. We call these “vowel teams.” These teams can make long vowel sounds like the “ee” in “tree,” where E and E are best friends working together to make one sound. Or they can make other sounds like “oi” in “coin” or “ou” in “cloud.”

When to Teach Vowels

Introducing vowels to students in classroom and homeschool settings is a foundational step in teaching reading and writing skills. This often takes place when children are in preschool or kindergarten, typically between the ages of 4 and 6. This timing is crucial as it aligns with children’s developmental readiness to understand and differentiate between sounds, a key skill in phonemic awareness. Starting vowel education at an early age helps in laying a strong foundation for literacy.

Long Vowels

The following resources teach your students about all of the long vowel sounds including a, e, I, o, and u.

Short Vowels

Online long vowel sounds, short vowels do not say their name. They are often the sounds that young students hear in most words while learning to read.

Spelling Patterns

There are a few spelling/word patterns that your students will learn about when using these free, printable vowel resources. Below you will find a brief overview of each type of pattern.

• Blend – Blends refer to the combination of two or more consonants pronounced in close succession without inserting a vowel between them, resulting in a single syllable. The term is often used in teaching reading and spelling to highlight how individual sounds merge smoothly in word formation. Blends can appear at the beginning of words (initial blends), like “st” in “stop” or “br” in “break”; in the middle of words (medial blends), though these are less common; or at the end of words (final blends), such as “st” in “last” or “nd” in “land.”
• Digraph – Digraphs represent a combination of two letters that produce a single sound unique from the sounds of each letter on its own. In the word “sheep,” the “sh” combination is a perfect example of a digraph. This pair of letters, when put together, creates a sound that is not quite the ‘s’ sound or the ‘h’ sound but a unique sound that blends the two into something new. Besides “sh,” other common digraphs include “ch,” “th,” “ph,” and “wh,” each producing a unique sound that contributes to the phonetic diversity of the language.
• Diphthong – A diphthong is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel sound and glides into another within the same syllable, creating a unique sound blend. Unlike pure vowels, pronounced with a single mouth position, diphthongs involve a noticeable change in mouth position and sound quality from start to finish. Examples in English include the sound combinations found in words like “coin,” where the ‘o’ shifts to an ‘i’ sound, and “loud,” where the ‘ou’ transitions from an ‘o’ to a ‘u’ sound.
• Silent (magic) E – The concept of the silent E, often referred to as the “magic E,” is a feature of the English language that plays a crucial role in altering the pronunciation and meaning of words. This silent E is not pronounced, but it has the power to change the sound of the vowel that precedes it, usually turning a short vowel sound into a long vowel sound. For example, in the transition from “cap” to “cape,” the introduction of the silent E changes the pronunciation of the “a” from a short vowel sound (/æ/) to a long vowel sound (/eɪ/).
• Open Syllable – An open syllable occurs when a vowel stands alone in the syllable and ends the syllable, typically resulting in a long vowel sound.
• Closed Syllable – In closed syllables, the syllable ends in a consonant, often leading to a short vowel sound.

R.E.A.D Curriculum

Kindergarten READ Curriculumis a 36-week curriculum that provides you with everything you need to teach your child to read. Kids will learn to read easily with our jam-packed, fun-filled, engaging lessons your child will enjoy! We have made teaching your child to read simple, enjoyable, low-prep, and engaging.

Other Resources You Might Like…

Your early homeschool and elementary students will love hands-on engaging activities! The following resources pair well with our READ Curriculum and feature a variety of early learning skills. Check them out today!

• Smart Start Morning Work Bundle
• Sight Words Curriculum
• Number of the Week Program