Vowels are to words what bones are to our bodies. They are the foundation for reading success.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds. Vowel sounds are important for accurate reading and accurate spelling, but they are also tricky because they sound very similar to each other. For many students, the ability to identify and manipulate vowel sounds stalls their progress as readers and writers.
Pin this post and save it for later. 🙂
Why are vowels so important?
1. Every syllable in every word has to have at least one vowel. This is the one spelling rule that is very difficult to find rule breakers for. Examples:
- ev-er-green
- ab-ra-ca-dab-ra
- Mi-chi-gan
2. Many spelling rules are vowel dependent.
Examples:
- Use tch after a short vowel and ch after a long vowel
- In 1 syllable words use sc before a, o, and u, and use sk before i and e.
- Use dge after a short vowel and ge after a long vowel or any other sound.
3. Word families and common chunks usually start with a vowel.
Examples:
- an, ed, it, op, un
4. Diphthongs start with a vowel.
Examples:
- au, ew, oi,
5. The name of every letter in the alphabet has a vowel sound in it. When you spell the name of the letter you usually need a vowel to spell the sound.
Examples:
- The name B in “because” is spelled “be.”
- The name M in “December” is spelled “em.”
- The name K in “okay” is spelled “kay.”
- The name R in “park” is spelled “ar.”
6. Long vowel sounds can be spelled in more than one way.
Examples:
- Long A= ai, ay, eigh, a-e
- Long I= igh, i-e, ie, eye, -y, I
7. Vowel rules get repeated.
Examples:
- Magic e helps a, e, i, o, and u say their names.
- If two vowels are next to each other, the first one usually says its name
Let’s get started!
Here is a link to my favorite vowel song.
Find tips for teaching short vowel sounds here:
Find Tips for Long Vowel Sounds here: