- In this post you will find:
-long a words
-long a spelling patterns
-long a songs
-long a stories
-long a worksheets
-long a extension ideas
Long Vowel A Spelling Patterns:
Every child has a name. Every child has a way to spell that name. Letters also have a name, and letters also have a way to spell that name.
When I teach long vowel sounds I tell my students that when a vowel says its name in a word, the vowel almost always spells its name in the word.
The tricky thing about vowels is that they have many ways to spell their names. For example, sometimes the letter Aa spells its name a-e. Other times it spells its name ay, ai or even eigh.
I very rarely ask a child if a vowel is long or short. Instead I ask if the vowel says its name or says its sound.
When I begin teaching long vowel A, I start with a video that shows some of the ways that A can spell its name.
Long A video:
After the video, I have my students sort words according to how long vowel A spells its name.
Long A word sort:
Now it is time to dive deeper into the different ways that the vowel A can spell its name.
I teach long vowel a spelling patterns in this order:
- a-e
- ay
- ai
- eigh
Here are the steps I follow to teach each way a vowel spells its name.
1. Listen to the song.
2. Read the word cards.
3. Watch and read the story.
4. Have your child spell some words using the fingers and boxes method.
5. Play memory.
6. Extend the fun with the extension activities.
- Introduce a-e with a song.
- Watch and listen to the a-e story then mute the video and read the story aloud
- For each a-e word that you want to practice, have the student stretch the word and count how many sounds s/he can hear.
- Make a box for each sound then have the student fill each box with the letter for the sound. Ask the child how we can make the letter A spell its name. In this case, we have a magic E. The letter E does not get a box because we cannot hear it.
Play the a-e Memory Game
When I teach a-e, my extension activities focus on the word CAKE.
Listen/Read Biscuit Bakes a Cake
Listen/Read Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes
How to draw a cake:
Cake Coloring Sheet:
Is it cake or is it fake video:
ay song:
ai song:
- Read the word cards from the Long A packet.
- After your child listens to the story, replay it on mute and have your child read the words.
ay (and ai) story:
ay bonus story:
ai bonus story:
eigh story
- Select words for the child to spell using the fingers and boxes method.
- Play the memory game from the Long A packet.
- ay: day
- ai: rain
- eigh: sleigh
Extend with the word “day.”
Days of the Week syllable song:
Cookie’s Week
Kids Try Birthday Food From Around the World.
If you type “Happy Birthday (child’s name) song” into YouTube, you will more than likely find a song for your kid’s name!
ai Extension: Rain
How to draw Santa’s sleigh:
