Reception English and phonics Vowel sounds: vowel digraphs: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound /ai/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   rain: ai · cup: u · tree: ee
2. Find the group ai. ai makes the sound /ai/.
   ai is in rain.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   rain

Check. Say rain slowly. It has the sound /ai/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Say tree sound by sound.

1. Say tree. Find the vowel sound.
   t - r - ee
2. Find the sound /ee/. The letters ee make one sound.
   ee = /ee/
3. Write the answer.
   ee

Check. ee makes one sound at the end of tree. ✓

Watch out. Write e and e together.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   goat
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   g - oa - t
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   g-oa-t

Check. Read the letters back: g-oa-t. They spell goat. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   l - igh - t
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /l/ /ie/ /t/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /l/ /ie/ /t/ = light

Check. Check the picture of a light. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound long /oo/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   book: oo · moon: oo · pig: i
2. Find the group oo. oo makes the sound long /oo/.
   oo is in moon.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   moon

Check. Say moon slowly. It has the sound long /oo/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound /ar/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   car: ar · pig: i · fork: or
2. Find the group ar. ar makes the sound /ar/.
   ar is in car.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   car

Check. Say car slowly. It has the sound /ar/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Say cow sound by sound.

1. Say cow. Find the vowel sound.
   c - ow
2. Find the sound /ow/. The letters ow make one sound.
   ow = /ow/
3. Write the answer.
   ow

Check. ow makes one sound in cow. ✓

Watch out. Write o and w together.

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound /er/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   fern: er · boat: oa · coin: oi
2. Find the group er. er makes the sound /er/.
   er is in fern.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   fern

Check. Say fern slowly. It has the sound /er/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Say rain one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. ai is one sound.
   r - ai - n
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   r, ai, n
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: r, ai, n. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

Method. Say each word and find the vowel sound.

1. Say pear. The vowel sound is /air/.
   pear: /air/
2. Say chair. The vowel sound is /air/ too.
   chair: /air/
3. Give your answer. Use the words same sound.
   Accept any answer that says ear and air both make the sound /air/, so pear and chair rhyme.

Check. Both words end with the same sound. ✓

Watch out. Learn the spelling of each word.

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound /oa/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   boat: oa · cow: ow · rat: a
2. Find the group oa. oa makes the sound /oa/.
   oa is in boat.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   boat

Check. Say boat slowly. It has the sound /oa/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Say rain sound by sound.

1. Say rain. Find the vowel sound.
   r - ai - n
2. Find the sound /ai/. The letters ai make one sound.
   ai = /ai/
3. Write the answer.
   ai

Check. ai makes one sound in rain. ✓

Watch out. Write a and i together.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   coin
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   c - oi - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   c-oi-n

Check. Read the letters back: c-oi-n. They spell coin. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Find the picture whose name has the sound /ur/ in the middle.

1. Look at the vowel group in each name. Two or three letters together can make one vowel sound.
   bird: ir · car: ar · tree: ee
2. Find the group ir. ir makes the sound /ur/.
   ir is in bird.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   bird

Check. Say bird slowly. It has the sound /ur/. ✓

Watch out. Look for the whole vowel group, not only the first vowel letter.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   b - oo - k
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /oo/ /k/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /oo/ /k/ = book

Check. Check the picture of a book. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Say light one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. igh is one sound.
   l - igh - t
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   l, igh, t
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: l, igh, t. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   f - ar - m
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /f/ /ar/ /m/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /f/ /ar/ /m/ = farm

Check. Check the picture of a farm. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Find the vowel sound in each word.

1. Look at fork. The vowel sound is /or/.
   fork: /or/
2. Look at car. The vowel sound is /ar/.
   car: /ar/
3. Give your answer. Say whether the vowel sounds match.
   Accept any answer that says no: fork has the sound /or/, and car has the sound /ar/.

Check. /or/ and /ar/ are different sounds. ✓

Watch out. Say each word slowly.

Method. Pick two words and find the vowel letters in each.

1. Think of the first word. The vowel letters are in the middle.
   rain: ai
2. Think of the second word. The vowel letters are in the middle.
   boat: oa
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any two words with a vowel digraph in the middle, such as rain (ai) and boat (oa).

Check. Each word has two letters that make one vowel sound. ✓

Watch out. The vowel letters are the two letters together.

Method. Say each word with a grown-up.

1. Say moon. The sound is long.
   moon: long oo
2. Say book. The sound is short.
   book: short oo
3. Give your answer. Say whether they are the same.
   Accept any answer that says no: moon has a long oo, and book has a short oo. Learn each word.

Check. The two sounds are different. ✓

Watch out. Learn each word, then remember its sound.