A balloon-popping letter A game where preschoolers find big A, little a, and pictures that start with A, with voice directions and stars. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
The Baby Shark Alphabet Song (Animated Music Video) will help students learn letter names and sounds by listening to the catchy lyrics and colorful video.
A carnival water-squirter letter A sound game where kindergarten kids squirt the targets with the short a and long a sounds, from apple and acorn to cat and cake. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A mail-route adventure game where preschool kids find a big E, a little e and pictures that start with E. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A short vowel E reading comprehension story worksheet starring Ben and his hen. 1st graders read the decodable story and answer questions. Includes a complete answer key — great for quick, no-prep phonics and reading practice.
A soccer vowel teams game where second grade kids kick the ball at words with ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, ie and igh, like rain, bee, boat and pie. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
A farm egg-catching short vowel review game where first grade kids catch the eggs with short a, e, i, o and u words like cat, hen, pig, pot and sun. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
An ice castle game where preschool kids press and hold to melt ice cubes and free a big I, a little i and pictures that start with I. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
This Long and Short Vowels Worksheet helps 1st graders identify long and short vowel sounds and practice silent-e words. Answer key included, making it perfect for quick, no-prep phonics practice at home or school.
Crack the egg with the letter E! This animated letter E song helps preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade kids recognize E and e with the Funzies and a catchy chorus.
A sunny beach boardwalk run where preschool kids tap or swipe to scoop shells with a big U, a little u and pictures that start with U. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
An under-the-sea photo game where preschool kids tap sea friends to snap photos of a big O, a little o and pictures that start with O. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
This Long Vowels Circling Worksheet gives 1st graders a 30-word grid where they circle every word that has a long vowel sound. Answer key included — perfect for quick, no-prep phonics practice at home or school.
This EE EA Vowel Worksheet gives 1st graders fun practice sorting and spelling long E words spelled ee and ea. Includes an answer key — perfect for phonics centers, homework, or quick no-prep review.
A long i worksheet that has 2nd graders sort twelve words by their i_e, igh, and y spellings, then finish three sentences. Answer key included, so students can check their own long vowel practice.
This short vowels worksheet gives 1st graders a word bank and eight sentences to practice the a, e, i, o, and u sounds. Answer key included—great for no-prep phonics practice.
This Alphabet Micro Lesson is a short 3 minute video that teaches all about the Alphabet, including letter recognition, consonants, and vowels.
The R-Controlled Vowels Fill in the Blanks Worksheet gives 1st graders a word box and ten sentences to practice ar, er, ir, or, and ur sounds. Answer key included — perfect for no-prep phonics practice.
The Letter Z Song teaches the Letter Z Sound, uppercase and lowercase Letter Z, vocabulary words with the Letter Z sound, and Letter Z handwriting practice.
A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y
Vowels are the letters a, e, i, o and u, and sometimes y, and every word needs at least one. Kids first learn the short vowel sounds, like the a in cat and the e in bed, and use them to read CVC words. Next they learn long vowels that say their name, often with a silent e: cap → cape. Then come vowel teams like ai, ee and oa, and r-controlled vowels like ar, or and er. Hearing the middle vowel sound is the trickiest part, and once kids get it, reading takes off.
Vowels are the heartbeat of every word. These moves help kids hear them, see them and use them.
Say a CVC word slowly like a rubber band: "c-aaaa-t." Kids stretch it with you and name the vowel in the middle. Middle sounds are the hardest to hear, so stretching makes them easy to catch.
Why it works: teaching letter sounds directly and in order is one of the best-supported findings in reading research (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Try it withMiddle Sounds E or A WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Use a letter song when introducing each vowel, then add a motion for the short sound, like an "ah" with a hand on your mouth. Kids use the motion later to remember the sound when reading.
Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).
Try it withLetter A Song - Shoot Your Arrow at the Letter ASongsOpen it →Once all five short vowels are taught, mix them in a review game. Kids read each word and name the vowel. Mixing them is the real test, because that is how they show up in books.
Why it works: in a well-known study, a few short sessions of a simple number board game measurably boosted young children's number skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).
Try it withShort Vowel Review GameGamesOpen it →Vowel practice can be loud, silly and fun.
GamesMatch vowel teams like ai, ee and oa to the words that use them.
Open Vowel Teams Game →
WorksheetsSort word cards into long and short vowel piles, then read each pile aloud.
Open Long and Short Vowels Worksheet →
AssessmentsRead a short story packed with one vowel sound, then circle every word that has it.
Open Ben and the Eggs Phonics Reading Comprehension Story Worksheet - Short Vowel E Sound →Teacher favorites right now: Letter A Game, Baby Shark Alphabet Song (Animated Music Video) and Letter A Sound Game.
The vowels are a, e, i, o and u. The letter y can also act as a vowel, as in gym, my and happy.
Short vowels make sounds like the a in cat or the o in hot. Long vowels say their own name, like the a in cake or the o in rope.
Kids learn short vowel sounds in kindergarten and early 1st grade. Long vowels, vowel teams and r-controlled vowels usually come in 1st and 2nd grade.
Vowels make many different sounds, and the middle sound in a word is the hardest to hear. Stretching words slowly and lots of practice reading short words help.
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