Step-by-step English Level 2: Review: long vowels and longer words
Part of the Step-by-step English Level 2 level 2 check chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Review: long vowels and longer words
Some pairs of letters make one long sound: ai, ee, oa and igh. Find the pair, then read the whole word.
Keep the pairs together when you split a longer word into sounds.
Key ideas
- Find the long-vowel pair first.
- Count the sounds, with each pair as one.
- Read the whole word.
Method. Find the name that has the two letters together.
- Read the name under each picture. Look for the two letters together.A: pig B: rain C: bath
- Find the name with ai inside. Only one name has these two letters together.rain = picture B
- Write the answer. B
Check. rain has ai, and the others do not. ✓
Watch out. The two letters make one long vowel sound, so keep them together.
Method. Find the name that has the two letters together.
- Read the name under each picture. Look for the two letters together.A: bee B: song C: dog
- Find the name with ee inside. Only one name has these two letters together.bee = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. bee has ee, and the others do not. ✓
Watch out. The two letters make one long vowel sound, so keep them together.
Method. Find the name that has the two letters together.
- Read the name under each picture. Look for the two letters together.A: boat B: ship C: yam
- Find the name with oa inside. Only one name has these two letters together.boat = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. boat has oa, and the others do not. ✓
Watch out. The two letters make one long vowel sound, so keep them together.
Watch out
Watch out: a long-vowel pair is one sound, even though it has two or three letters. Do not split it.Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask the child to tap once for each sound, with the pairs together. Then read the whole word.
Exercise 10B Practice: review: long vowels and longer words
Method. Find the name that has the two letters together.
- Read the name under each picture. Look for the two letters together.A: soap B: train C: night
- Find the name with igh inside. Only one name has these two letters together.night = picture C
- Write the answer. C
Check. night has igh, and the others do not. ✓
Watch out. The two letters make one long vowel sound, so keep them together.
Method. Try each pair in the gap, then pick the one that makes the word.
- Read the word with the gap. Think about the word that fits the gap.tr__n
- Try each pair of letters. train has ai.ai / oa / ee
- Pick the pair that makes the word. train needs ai.train = choice A
- Write the answer. A
Check. Put ai back in the gap: train. ✓
Watch out. The two letters go together in the gap. Do not split them.
Method. Try each pair in the gap, then pick the one that makes the word.
- Read the word with the gap. Think about the word that fits the gap.sh__p
- Try each pair of letters. sheep has ee.ai / ee / oa
- Pick the pair that makes the word. sheep needs ee.sheep = choice B
- Write the answer. B
Check. Put ee back in the gap: sheep. ✓
Watch out. The two letters go together in the gap. Do not split them.
Method. Try each pair in the gap, then pick the one that makes the word.
- Read the word with the gap. Think about the word that fits the gap.g__t
- Try each pair of letters. goat has oa.ai / igh / oa
- Pick the pair that makes the word. goat needs oa.goat = choice C
- Write the answer. C
Check. Put oa back in the gap: goat. ✓
Watch out. The two letters go together in the gap. Do not split them.
Method. Try each pair in the gap, then pick the one that makes the word.
- Read the word with the gap. Think about the word that fits the gap.l__t
- Try each pair of letters. light has igh.oa / igh / ee
- Pick the pair that makes the word. light needs igh.light = choice B
- Write the answer. B
Check. Put igh back in the gap: light. ✓
Watch out. The two letters go together in the gap. Do not split them.
Method. Read every choice, then pick the one that fits.
- Read each choice. Check which one fits.2 / 3 / 4
- Find the one that fits. chain is ch - ai - n: 3 sounds.3 is choice B
- Write the answer. B
Check. Read 3 in the sentence or list again. ✓
Watch out. Read every choice before you decide.
Method. Read every choice, then pick the one that fits.
- Read each choice. Check which one fits.3 / 4 / 2
- Find the one that fits. shell is sh - e - l - l: 4 sounds.4 is choice B
- Write the answer. B
Check. Read 4 in the sentence or list again. ✓
Watch out. Read every choice before you decide.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.ch - ai - n
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.chain = picture C
- Write the answer. C
Check. The other pictures show different names: sun, fish. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name, then check which spelling has the right letters.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.r - ai - n
- Check each spelling. Only one spelling uses the right letters.rain is right; rane is not
- Write the answer. B
Check. rain matches the picture. ✓
Watch out. rane is not a word we use for this picture.
Method. Find the letters in the model word, then find the choice that has them too.
- Find ai in the model word. Those letters make one sound.snail: ai
- Find the word with the same letters. Check each choice.nail has ai
- Write the answer. B
Check. Both snail and nail have ai. ✓
Watch out. Look for the same letters together, not only the same first letter.
Method. Find the letters in the model word, then find the choice that has them too.
- Find ee in the model word. Those letters make one sound.feet: ee
- Find the word with the same letters. Check each choice.tree has ee
- Write the answer. C
Check. Both feet and tree have ee. ✓
Watch out. Look for the same letters together, not only the same first letter.
Method. Say the name, then write the spelling with the right letters.
- Look at the picture and say its name slowly. Say each sound.b - oa - t
- Compare the spelling. the oa is missing its abot is not right
- Write the correct spelling. Use the letters for each sound.boat
- Write the answer. boat
Check. boat matches the picture and the sounds. ✓
Watch out. Use the letters that make each sound, such as ee or ai.