Teaching Short Vowel Sounds

Show the importance of vowel sounds by showing how one vowel change will make a new word. Write or make the first word with magnetic letters. The adult or teacher will separate the sounds and then blend the sounds together. (h - i - t, hit) Say the vowel sound. (i, i, i) Have the child or student say the vowel sound, separate the sounds, and blend the sounds with you a few times and point to the letters as sounds are made. Keep the first word visible and do the same with the second word. (h - a - t, hat) (a,a,a) Ask the child or student which letter is different in the words hit and hat? Ask the child to point to each vowel and make the sounds. If the child cannot, the adult or teacher should say the sound and have the child or student repeat the sound while pointing to the letter.

(i, a)    hit, hat     sit, sat      lap, lip      him, ham

(a, o)  hat, hot     black, block      sack, sock

(a, e)  man, men    bat, bet

(a, u)  cap, cup     ran, run     fan, fun

(i, o)   hit, hot     ship, shop     lost, list

(i, e)   big, beg     sit, set     spell, spill

(i, u)  dig, dug     hit, hut     stiff, stuff     punch, pinch

(o, e)  net, not     pet, pot     blond, blend     loss, less

(o, u)  hog, hug     rob, rub     lock, luck

(u, e)  duck, deck     hum, hem     nut, net     flush, flesh

Practice one or two groups of words a day and watch short vowel sound knowledge increase.

Teaching Short Vowel Sounds