Goal
Help your child hear and distinguish short and long vowel sounds — a key step in understanding why English spelling works the way it does.
You'll need
- Short Vowel Sounds Flashcards
- Long Vowel Sounds Flashcards
How to do it
Mix up the short and long vowel flashcards. Set out two spaces — one for short vowels, one for long. Say a short vowel together (a as in "cat") and a long one (a as in "cake") so the distinction is clear in their ears.
Work through the cards together, saying each word aloud before sorting. If they're unsure, exaggerate the vowel sound — stretch out the long ones, clip the short ones. Hearing the difference is the whole challenge here.
Once they're confident sorting, try asking them to think of their own examples for each pile. That's when you know it's really clicked.
Grab our resources
Print our short vowel sounds flashcards and long vowel sounds flashcards to get started.
