All Short Vowels
All Short Vowels
When we first start school, we learn letters and the sounds that letters make. (Although many kids learn these even before they start school!) We soon learn that some of these letters are called consonants and some of them are called vowels. Short vowels show up a lot, so it’s important for children to have a good understanding of what they are and what they do. Many teachers will give students other words that have the short vowel sounds and pictures that will help them remember. You might remember this: a as in apple, e as in elephant, i as in igloo, o as in octopus, u as in umbrella. Sometimes you’ll see different variations, but these are very common reminders.
Consonant sounds can be tricky to learn as well, especially when a word contains two consecutive consonants and each one must be pronounced. This is called a consonant blend, and it’s a great idea to assign your students practice with consonant blends as well as vowel sounds. Learning phonics requires spaced and repeated practice. One way elementary students can improve their skills is by playing online games that help them master phonic elements, such as short vowels. Not only do they need to be able to identify the vowels and their short vowel sounds, but they’ll also need to use them when they write and spell. Knowing the sounds letters make is an essential building block in learning to read, write, and spell. Many grade-level spelling lists include words that have challenging phonic elements. You can teach phonics and spelling at the same time by assigning a grade-level word list like this 2nd grade spelling word list. There are many learning tools online that can help students at any stage of learning.