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Vowel Teams Worksheets

12 free PDFsUS Letter or A4Answer key includedNo login

A vowel teams chart and word list with sorts, fill-ins, matching, sentences and a story for ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh, oo, ou, oi and oy.

Download the vowel teams worksheets

Vowel teams chart and word list

Long vowel teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow

oo, ou, ow, oi and oy

The oo sort comes as cut and paste and as a no-cut page.

Read vowel team words

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these vowel teams worksheets

A vowel team is two letters that work together to make one vowel sound, like ai in rain, ee in tree and oa in boat. Most vowel teams spell a long vowel. Others make new sounds: oo in moon and book, ou and ow in out and cow, and oi and oy in coin and boy.

These vowel teams worksheets begin with a chart and a word list. Then children sort ai and ay words, choose ee or ea and oa or ow for pictures, sort oo words by the sound in moon or book (cut and paste or no-cut), sort ou and ow words, write oi or oy, match words to pictures and read vowel team words in sentences and a short story.

Teach vowel teams after silent e, usually in the second half of 1st grade. All pages print in black and white on US Letter or A4 and have answer keys on page 2.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.CKnow final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.BDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.ADistinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.DUse conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.ARead grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.CUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

How to use them

  1. Introduce one or two teams at a time, starting with ai and ay, then ee and ea, then oa and ow.
  2. Show where each team usually goes: ai, oi and oa in the middle of a word; ay, oy and ow often at the end.
  3. Use the sorts to compare two spellings of the same sound, then the sentences and story to read the teams in context.

Teaching tips

  • When two spellings make the same sound (ee and ea), there is no sound rule for which to use. Children learn the spelling of each word by reading it often and sorting it.
  • ow and oo each have two sounds. Teach children to try one sound, and if it doesn't make a real word, try the other: is it ow as in snow, or ow as in cow?
  • ea sometimes says short e, as in bread and head. If a word doesn't sound right with long e, try short e.
  • The tricky word said has ai but doesn't say long a. Teach it as a tricky word.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What are vowel teams?

Vowel teams are two letters that make one vowel sound together, such as ai (rain), ay (day), ee (tree), ea (leaf), oa (boat), ow (snow), igh (night), oo (moon), ou (out), oi (coin) and oy (boy).

Are vowel teams and diphthongs the same?

Not quite. Diphthongs are vowel sounds that glide from one sound to another, like the oi in coin and the ou in out. Some vowel teams spell diphthongs; others, like ai and ee, spell a long vowel.

When should I use ai or ay?

Use ai in the middle of a word (rain, tail) and ay at the end (day, play). The same idea works for oi and oy (coin, boy).

What grade learns vowel teams?

Vowel teams for long vowels are a 1st grade standard. Many 1st graders also learn oo, ou, ow, oi and oy, and practice them more in 2nd grade.

Do the worksheets have answer keys?

Yes, on page 2 of every page with right answers.