Reception English and phonics: Vowel sounds: ar, or and ur

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 · fork: or · bird: ir
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. Find the picture whose name has the sound /or/ in the middle.

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

Check. Say fork slowly. It has the sound /or/. ✓

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

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

Check. Read the letters back: c-ar. They spell car. ✓

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.
   fork
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   f - or - k
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   f-or-k

Check. Read the letters back: f-or-k. They spell fork. ✓

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.
   c - ar
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /k/ /ar/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /k/ /ar/ = car

Check. Check the picture of a car. 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.
   b - ir - d
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /ur/ /d/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /ur/ /d/ = bird

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

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

Method. Say car sound by sound.

1. Say car. Find the sound in the middle.
   c - ar
2. Find the vowel sound. ar makes one sound, /ar/.
   vowel sound: /ar/
3. Write the answer. Write both letters together.
   ar

Check. ar makes one sound in car. ✓

Watch out. Write a and r together.

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

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

Check. Say fork slowly. It has the sound /or/. ✓

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

Method. Say fork one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. or is one sound.
   f - or - k
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   f, or, k
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: f, or, k. There are 3. ✓

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 vowel sound in fur and in each name.

1. Think of fur. fur has the sound /ur/.
   fur: /ur/
2. Look at bird. bird has the sound /ur/, spelled ir.
   bird: /ur/
3. Look at cow and car. cow has /ow/. car has /ar/.
   cow: /ow/; car: /ar/
4. Write the answer.
   bird

Check. bird has the same vowel sound as fur. ✓

Watch out. Different spellings can make the same sound.

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

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

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

Method. Say bird sound by sound.

1. Say bird. Find the vowel sound.
   b - ir - d
2. Find the sound /ur/. The letters ir make the sound /ur/.
   ir = /ur/
3. Write the answer.
   ir

Check. ir makes the sound /ur/ in bird. ✓

Watch out. Write i and r together.

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.
   fork: or · car: ar · cup: u
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. 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 are the same.
   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. Compare the sound and the spelling.

1. Look at bird. The vowel sound is /ur/, spelled ir.
   bird: ir
2. Look at fur. The vowel sound is /ur/, spelled ur.
   fur: ur
3. Give your answer. Say whether the sounds match and the spellings are different.
   Accept any answer that says yes: both have the sound /ur/, but bird is spelled ir and fur is spelled ur.

Check. The sound is the same. The spelling is different. ✓

Watch out. The same sound can have different spellings.