Reception English and phonics: More vowel sounds: ow, oi, ear, air and er

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

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

Check. Say cow slowly. It has the sound /ow/. ✓

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

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

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

Check. Say coin slowly. It has the sound /oi/. ✓

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

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

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

Check. Say pear slowly. It has the sound /air/. ✓

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

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.
   cow: ow · car: ar · fern: er
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 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.
   cow
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   c - ow
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   c-ow

Check. Read the letters back: c-ow. They spell cow. ✓

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

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. 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.
   p - ear
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /p/ /air/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /p/ /air/ = pear

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

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

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.
   ch - air
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /ch/ /air/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /ch/ /air/ = chair

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

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

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 = /ow/
3. Write the answer.
   ow

Check. ow makes one sound in cow. ✓

Watch out. Write o and w together.

Method. Say coin sound by sound.

1. Say coin. Find the vowel sound.
   c - oi - n
2. Find the sound /oi/. The letters oi make one sound.
   oi = /oi/
3. Write the answer.
   oi

Check. oi makes one sound in coin. ✓

Watch out. Write o and i together.

Method. Say chair one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. ch is one sound. air is one sound.
   ch - air
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   ch, air
3. Write the answer.
   2 sounds.

Check. Count again: ch, air. There are 2. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

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.
   fern
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   f - er - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   f-er-n

Check. Read the letters back: f-er-n. They spell fern. ✓

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

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

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

Check. Say pear slowly. It has the sound /air/. ✓

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

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 · coin: oi · rain: ai
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. 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.
   c - ow
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /k/ /ow/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /k/ /ow/ = cow

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

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

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.
   n - ai - l
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /n/ /ai/ /l/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /n/ /ai/ /l/ = nail

Check. Check the picture of a nail. 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 name.

1. Look at pear. pear has the sound /air/.
   pear: /air/
2. Look at chair. chair has the sound /air/.
   chair: /air/
3. Look at cow. cow has the sound /ow/.
   cow: /ow/
4. Write the answer.
   pear and chair

Check. Pear and chair have the same vowel sound. ✓

Watch out. Check the vowel sound of each name, not the spelling.

Method. Count the letters that make each sound.

1. Look at cow. The sound /ow/ is made by ow.
   ow
2. Look at coin. The sound /oi/ is made by oi.
   oi
3. Give your answer. Say how many letters make each sound.
   Accept any answer that says yes: each sound is made by two letters, ow in cow and oi in coin.

Check. Two letters, one sound each. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one vowel sound.

Method. Look at the sound and the spelling of each word.

1. Look at pear. pear is spelled with ear.
   pear: ear
2. Look at chair. chair is spelled with air.
   chair: air
3. Give your answer. Say whether the sounds are the same.
   Accept any answer that says yes: both have the sound /air/, but pear is spelled ear and chair is spelled air.

Check. The sound is the same, and the spellings are different. ✓

Watch out. The same sound can have different spellings.