Phonics Practice · Step 9 of 12
Vowel teams
ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow and igh: vowel teams that say a long sound.
Made by Teddy Rook Book to practice alongside Hannah Ward's lessons. It is not part of her curriculum. About this practice
For grown-ups
What this step teaches
A vowel team is two or three letters that work together to make one long vowel sound: ai and ay (rain, play), ee and ea (bee, leaf), oa and ow (boat, snow), igh (light). Each team shares one sound box. y at the end of a short word says long i (my, fly).
As you practice: Find the team first and frame it with two fingers. The team is one sound box: r-ai-n.
Away from the screen
- A saying many families use: “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” It works for ai, ee, ea and oa, though not for every word, so treat it as a hint.
- Sort word cards into piles by sound: the long a pile (rain, play), the long e pile (bee, leaf), and so on.
- Look for vowel teams on signs and packages when you are out.
With Hannah's lessons
Goes with the vowel teams in the second half of Hannah's 120 lessons and in her Phonics Reading Boot Camp.
📖 Read in 120 Lessons🎯 Phonics Boot Camp
Hannah's lessons may bring in sounds in a different order. Follow her order, and use the step here that matches what she has taught.
The new sounds, and how to say them
- ai as in rainai says long a, as in rain. It is usually in the middle of a word.
- ay as in playay says long a, as in play. It usually comes at the end of a word.
- ee as in beeee says long e, as in bee.
- ea as in leafea usually says long e, as in leaf. (In a few words, like head, it says short e; those come later.)
- oa as in boatoa says long o, as in boat.
- ow as in snowow can say long o, as in snow. Later it will also say /ow/, as in cow.
- igh as in lightigh says long i, as in light. The g and h are silent.
- y as in myy at the end of a short word says long i, as in my and fly.
Heart words for this step
Heart words are common words with a part that doesn't follow the rules your child knows yet. Sound out the regular parts, and learn the ♥ part by heart.
couldwouldshouldbeeneyedoes