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2nd Grade Long Vowels Resources

42 2nd grade long vowels resources: 26 activities, 14 worksheets, 1 game and more. How teachers use these

2nd Grade Long Vowels Resources

42 2nd grade long vowels resources: 26 activities, 14 worksheets, 1 game and more. How teachers use these

Game
Game2nd GradeVowel Teams Game

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.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong I Worksheet

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.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong A Worksheet

This long a worksheet has 2nd grade students sort twelve words into the a_e, ai and ay spelling patterns, then finish three sentences. An answer key makes long vowel practice quick to check.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong U Worksheet

This long u worksheet has 2nd grade students sort twelve words into the u_e, ue and ew spelling patterns, then finish three sentences. An answer key makes long vowel practice quick to check.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeOU OW Digraphs Worksheet

This ou ow digraphs worksheet gives 2nd graders hands-on practice reading and spelling words that use the ou and ow vowel teams. An answer key is included, making it perfect for quick, no-prep phonics practice at home or school.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong O Worksheet

Students listen for the long o sound, then sort oa and o_e words into columns on this 2nd grade long o worksheet. An answer key is included, so practice checks itself in seconds.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong E Worksheet

This Long E Worksheet asks 2nd graders to listen for the long e sound, circle it, and sort eight words into the ee and ea spelling teams. Answer key included for quick, no-prep phonics practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeEE EA Digraphs Fill in Blanks Worksheet

This ee ea digraphs fill in blanks worksheet gives 2nd graders six picture words and three sentences to finish with the right long e spelling. An answer key is included, so children can check themselves.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong Vowels Sentences Worksheet

This Long Vowels Sentences Worksheet gives 2nd grade students fun sentence practice with long vowel words, plus a write-your-own section and an answer key to build confident phonics and reading skills.

Activity
Activity2nd GradeLong Vowel U Puzzle

Using this Long Vowel U Puzzle, students match together puzzle pieces showing pictures and long U vowel sounds.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeSpelling Long A Worksheet

This Spelling Long A Worksheet has second graders name six pictures, write each long a word, then sort them by the a_e and ai spelling patterns. Answer key included for fast, no-prep phonics practice.

Workbook
Workbook2nd GradeLong Vowels Mini Pack

Using this Long Vowels Mini Pack, students learn about Long Vowels through ten fun worksheets and three activities.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeOI OY Digraphs Worksheet

This OI OY Digraphs Worksheet gives 2nd Grade students sentence practice and a sorting chart for both vowel teams, so they learn where each spelling belongs. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity2nd GradeShort and Long Vowel A CVCe Activity

This short and long vowel a CVCe activity gives 1st and 2nd grade readers 24 word cards for a silent e matching game, a sort mat and a practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity2nd GradeShort and Long Vowels Matching Activity

This short and long vowels matching activity helps preschool to 3rd grade children sort picture cards by vowel sound on a mat, with a practice page. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity2nd GradeShort and Long Vowel O Activity

This short and long vowel o activity has 1st and 2nd graders build picture words with letter tiles and sort them by vowel sound. An answer key is included.

Activity
Activity2nd GradeShort and Long Vowel I CVCe Activity

This short and long vowel i CVCe activity gives 1st and 2nd grade readers 24 word cards for a silent e matching game, a sort mat and a practice page. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeDifferent Vowel Sounds Worksheet

This different vowel sounds worksheet has 2nd Grade students sort ow words by the sound they make, as in bowl or crown, with an answer key so practice builds confident, flexible readers.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeLong Vowels Sorting Worksheet

This Long Vowels Sorting Worksheet has 2nd grade students sort twelve words into long a, long i, and long o columns by the sound they hear. An answer key is included, so checking work is quick.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeEY IE Digraphs Worksheet

This EY IE Digraphs Worksheet gives 2nd Grade students ten chances to choose the right vowel team, in words and in sentences, with an answer key included so spelling practice grades itself.

From our teachers' playbook

When vowels say their own names

What do 2nd graders learn about long vowels?

A long vowel says its own name, like the a in cake or the o in boat. Second graders already know the silent e trick from 1st grade, and now they learn all the other ways to spell each long vowel sound. Long a can be a_e, ai, ay, long e can be ee, ea, y, and long i can be i_e, igh, y. Kids read and spell these patterns in real words and learn which ones usually go at the end of a word. The click comes when a child sees "train" and "play" and knows both say the same long a!

Our favorite ways to teach long vowels in 2nd grade

There are a lot of ways to spell each long vowel. These moves help kids keep them straight.

One sound, many spellings

Make an anchor chart for each long vowel sound with every spelling across the top, like a_e, ai and ay. Kids sort word cards under the right spelling. Seeing all the spellings of one sound side by side is the key to long vowels in 2nd grade.

Why it works: the National Reading Panel found that systematic, explicit phonics teaching clearly improves how children learn to read.

Long Vowels Sorting WorksheetTry it withLong Vowels Sorting WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Add the magic e

Give kids short-vowel words like "cap," "kit" and "hop" and have them add a silent e to make "cape," "kite" and "hope." Reading the word before and after the change shows exactly what the e does.

Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.

Short and Long Vowel A CVCe ActivityTry it withShort and Long Vowel A CVCe ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

One long vowel a week

Spend one week on each long vowel, then spiral back every few weeks for a quick review. Short daily practice spread over the year builds stronger spellers than one big long vowel unit.

Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Long Vowels Sentences WorksheetTry it withLong Vowels Sentences WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions parents and teachers ask about long vowels

What is a long vowel?

A long vowel says its own letter name. The a in "cake," the e in "tree," the i in "kite," the o in "boat" and the u in "cube" are all long vowels.

What long vowel patterns do 2nd graders learn?

Second graders learn silent e words (a_e, i_e, o_e) plus vowel teams like ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh and ue. They also learn that y can make a long e or long i sound at the end of a word.

How do I know when to use ai or ay?

A handy rule is that "ai" usually comes in the middle of a word, like "rain," and "ay" usually comes at the end, like "play." The same goes for "oa" in the middle and "ow" at the end.

How can I practice long vowels at home?

Go on a long vowel word hunt in a favorite book and sort the words by their spelling. Play a quick game of "short or long" by saying a word and having your child give a thumbs up for long vowels.