Vowel Digraphs and Diphthongs k-2

Scholastic Success With
Vowel Digraphs & Diphthongs
by Robin Wolfe
Scholastic Success With Vowel Digraphs & Diphthongs © Scholastic Teaching Resources
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Cover art by Amy Vangsgard

Cover design by Maria Lilja
Interior illustrations by Janet Armbrust
Interior design by Quack & Company
ISBN 0-439-55393-8
Copyright © 2004 Scholastic, Inc.

All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 09 08 07 06 05 04
Introduction
Reading is fun! Understanding phonics is a very important part of learning to read. Parents and teachers
alike will find this book to be a valuable teaching tool for teaching beginning readers. The basic skills
addressed include recognizing vowel digraphs and the sounds they make, using diacritical markings to
indicate pronunciation of digraphs, recognizing diphthongs and the sounds they make, recognizing
r-controlled vowels and the sounds they make, and recognizing some exceptions to the vowel rules.
Children will enjoy playing word games and solving riddles as they complete the activity pages. Puzzles,
word finds, and silly rhymes make learning fun. A skills test is included to help teachers and parents assess
achievement. Take a look at the Table of Contents and you will feel rewarded providing such a valuable
resource for your children. Remember to praise them for their efforts and successes!
Table of Contents
What Is a Vowel Digraph? (Getting More ou Sounds (Vowel diphthong ou) . . . . . . .28
the concept) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Diphthong Table Tennis (Review:

Snail Trail (Vowel digraph ai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Vowel diphthongs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Play Day (Vowel digraph ay) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 What Is an r-Controlled Vowel? (Getting
Dream Team (Vowel digraph ea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 the concept) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Teen Queen (Vowel digraph ee) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Mars and Stars (r-Controlled vowel ar) . . . . . . .31
Sheila Helps Keith (Vowel digraph ei) . . . . . . . . .9 Mother and Brother (r-Controlled vowel er) . .32
Kelsey and Lacey (Vowel digraph ey) . . . . . . . . .10 My Third Birthday (r-Controlled vowel ir) . . . .33
Ties, Ties, Ties (Vowel digraph ie) . . . . . . . . . . . .11 All Sorts of Sports (r-Controlled vowel or) . . .34
Moan and Groan (Vowel digraph oa) . . . . . . . . .12 Kurt Got Hurt (r-Controlled vowel ur) . . . . . . . .35
Joe’s Toes (Vowel digraph oe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Square Chair (r-Controlled
vowel combinations) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Three in a Row (Vowel digraph ow) . . . . . . . . . .14
Let’s Hear a Cheer! (r-Controlled
Sue’s Cruise (Vowel digraphs ue and ui) . . . . . . .15
The Vowel Digraph Outlaws (Exceptions
Oar Store Door (r-Controlled
to the rule) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
More Rule Breakers (Exceptions
Four Different Sounds (r-Controlled
to the rule) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Digraph Giraffe (Review: Vowel digraphs) . . . .18
The Outlaw W (Exceptions to the rule) . . . . . . .40
What Is a Diphthong? (Getting
Word Ending Outlaws (Exceptions to
the concept) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
the rule) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Paul’s Haunted Cabin (Vowel diphthong au) . .20
Do You Know Bossy r? (Review:
I Have a Paw! I Have a Claw! (Vowel r-Controlled vowels) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
diphthong aw) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Copycat Words (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
A New Kind of Stew (Vowel diphthong ew) . . .22 Silly Rhymes (Rhyming words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Join the Letters (Vowel diphthong oi) . . . . . . . .23 Hide and Seek (Review) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Troy and Roy (Vowel diphthong oy) . . . . . . . . . .24 Skills Test (Review) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Look and Choose (Vowel diphthong oo) . . . . . .25 Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Brown Cow (Vowel diphthong ow) . . . . . . . . . . .26
There’s a Mouse in the House! (Vowel
diphthong ou) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
3
Name Getting the concept
What Is a Vowel Digraph?

There are 26 letters in the alphabet. Five of the
letters are vowels. They are a, e, i, o, and u. Two
letters, y and w, can sometimes be helper vowels.
A vowel digraph is when two vowels come together,
but only one of the vowels is heard. Most digraphs
follow this rule: When two vowels come together,
the first vowel is usually long and the second
vowel is silent. It can be said this way, “When two
vowels go walking, the first one does the talking!”

Examples: g o a t meat
(Some exceptions to this rule are explained on pages 16 and 17.)
Look at each word and picture below. If the word has a vowel
digraph in it, color the picture. If it does not, mark an X on it.
boat team dog
rain hat soap
six ties fruit
4
Name Vowel digraph ai
Snail Trail
When a and i come together in a word, the a is long and the i is silent.
To help you remember, mark the words like this: s n a i I t r a i I.
1. To find out where this snail is going, circle only

the words that have the ai digraph in them.
Do not circle the other words.
wait
2. Connect the circles to make a snail trail.
sad in
bag nail ra
maid
in
dog
tra
fan
ed
se
pa
e
int
jok
t
ca
bik
in e
pa
man
in
bra
n mail
fu
il
drain
sa
bait
3. Now mark the a long and the i silent in each word that
you circled.
4. Where was the snail going? ______________________________
This is at the end of a cow. It is used for brushing away flies. This word has the ai digraph in it.
What is it? On another sheet of paper, draw a cow and two more animals that have these.
5
Name Vowel digraph ay
Play Day
When a and y come together in a word, the a is
long, and the y is silent. To help you remember,
mark the words like this: p l a y d a y.
The children must play indoors today. You can

play, too! Here is a word game for you.
1. Read each word.
2. Mark the a long and the y silent like the examples above.
3. Draw lines to match the words and the pictures.
May
say
tray
gray
ray
pay
stay
spray
hay
bay
sway
This is a kind of bird. It has blue feathers. Its name has two words. The second word ends
with ay. It is a blue ______.
6
Name Vowel digraph ea
Dream Team
Usually, when e and a come together in a word, the e
is long, and the a is silent. To help you remember,
mark the words like this: d r e a m team.
This team won the championship game!

Let’s play basketball with the dream team.
Unscramble the letters on each ball to
make a word that matches the picture.
htearw adre adsbe tmae

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
akle rdmae ajesn elap

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
atehw feal mrstea asel

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Now mark the vowels in each new word that you made.
This is how you feel when you have the flu. You may feel lightheaded. Your legs may wobble.
You just want to rest because you feel this way. It rhymes with peak. What is the word?
7
Name Vowel digraph ee
Teen Queen
When e and e come together in a word, the first e is long,
and the second e is silent. To help you remember, mark
the words like this: t e e n queen.
This teen queen loves to solve puzzles,

especially word finds. Help her find these
ee words in the puzzle below. The words
go down, across, and diagonally.
seen street green feed
peel sheep sleet sweet
week feet wheel beep
heel speed
deep beef
k w h e e l p x v l m
n g s a o w e e k u y
d b h z f e e t g o i
s e e n z s l b r b e
p r e m f l s w e e t
e x p p z e j f e e c
e j s t r e e t n f p
d h e e l t n d a u y
Now mark the vowels in each word in the word list.

This is something you do every night. You also do this if you take a nap. It is another word for
slumber. It has ee in it. What is it? On another sheet of paper, write a sentence telling why you
need it.
8
Name Vowel digraph ei
Sheila Helps Keith

Sometimes, when e and i come together in a word, the e is long and the i is silent.
To help you remember, mark the words like this: S h e i l a K e i t h .
Keith needs help finishing his sentences. His sister, Sheila, drew him
some pictures. Find the words Keith will use. Write the correct word
in each blank.
1. There is a fly on the _____________.
2. Dad likes to rest when he has some _____________ time.

3. The police officer _____________ the bank robber before he
could get away.
4. Roast beef is a good source of _____________.

5. You don’t like beets? I don’t _____________.
6. I _____________ an invitation to a birthday party!
either received ceiling
protein seized leisure
This astronaut was the first man to walk on the moon! Fill in the missing letters with ei
and you will find out his name. N _ _ I Armstrong
9
Name Vowel digraph ey
Kelsey and Lacey

Sometimes, when e and y come together in a word,
the e is long and the y is silent. To help you remember,
mark the words like this: K e l s e y L a c e y.
Kelsey and Lacey like dot-to-dot puzzles.

Do you? Here is one of their puzzles. Connect
the dots to find an animal that ends with ey.
59 55
53 52 51
58 56 50
54
60
1 57 49
2
3 48 47
44
11 26 28 45
4 27 35 43 46
10
5 29
12 36 42
9 18 25 34
6 8
13
7 19 24
17 37
14 20 30 33
23 41
38
15 16 22 31 32
21 39 40
Solve these riddles with ey words.
1. It swings through trees. It is a ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
2. This bird makes a gobble sound. It is a ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
3. It can lock or unlock a door. It is a ___ ___ ___.
4. It is dollars, quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies.

It is ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
10
Name Vowel digraph ie
Ties, Ties, Ties

Usually, when i and e come together in a word,
the i is long and the e is silent. To help you
remember, mark the words like this: t i e s .
Look at all the ties! Fill in the blanks with the

missing letters. Use the pictures as clues.
Remember each word has ie in it.
Mark the i long and the e silent.
pesky French
apple
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __
The baby __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __.
up
Two children are doing the dishes. One washes. The other _____. On another sheet of
paper, write a list of jobs that you do at your house.
11
Name Vowel digraph oa
Moan and Groan

When o and a come together in a word, the o is long and
the a is silent. To help you remember, mark the words
like this: m o a n groan.
Joan has a broken leg. She will

have to stay in bed for a while.
Her mom brought her a puzzle
book. Here is a puzzle for you,
too! Read the clues and fill in

the puzzle with the correct
oa word.
Across 1. 2.
1. what you score 3.
4. sails on the lake

4.
6. where you swallow
5.
8. frog-like animal
9. gets you clean
6. 7.
Down
2. eaten by horses
3. good with jam 8.
5. a ____ of bread
7. streets
9.
They are farm animals. Some are called Billy. Some are called Nanny. The babies are called
kids! What are they? Pretend you are one. On another sheet of paper, write what you would
do today.
12
Name Vowel digraph oe
Joe’s Toes
When o and e come together in a word, the o is long and the e is silent.
To help you remember, mark the words like this: J o e ’s toes.
Use Joe’s toes to help you write words that have oe

in them. Write the letters on the blanks. Mark the
vowels. Then write the words beside the clues.
b e g j s
d f h o t
1. _____ _____ _____ _____ 2. _____ _____ _____ _____
3. _____ _____ _____ 4. _____ _____ _____
5. _____ _____ _____ 6. _____ _____ _____
a garden tool __________ part of your foot __________
a boy’s name __________ an enemy __________
when something leaves __________ a female deer __________
This man is one of the Three Stooges. He is not Curly. He is not Larry. His name ends
with oe. Who is it? If you don’t know, ask someone at home!
13
Name Vowel digraph ow
Three in a Row
Sometimes, when o and w come together, the o is long
and the w is silent. To help you remember, mark the
words like this: r o w.
Look at the three-piece mini-puzzles below. They do not make

sense the way they are. Cut them apart along the black lines.
Switch the pieces around until the puzzle words match the picture.
Glue them together correctly on another sheet of paper.
We
made your Fireflies bow
a boat.
Row, glow in
row, row a Blow the
bubble. dark.
I have
a the Throw snow-
polka- lawn. man.
dot
I saw
the ball. Mow truck.
a tow
14
Name Vowel digraphs ue
and ui
Sue’s Cruise
When u and e come together in a word, the u is long and the e is silent. Also, when u and
i come together, the u is long and the i is silent. To help you remember, mark the words
like this: S u e cruise.
Sue and her family went on a cruise. Read what Sue did. Fill in the
blanks with the correct word.
true bruise Sue due
suit blue clues glued
1. __ __ __ and 2. She saw a

her family man in a
went to the sailor
ship. __ __ __ __.
3. She saw a
__ __ __ __
4. She took pictures
whale just
and __ __ __ __ __
in time.
them in an album.
5. Sue and her

brother played
“I Spy.” She gave
him __ __ __ __ __ 6. She bumped her leg and
while he guessed. got a __ __ __ __ __ __ .
8. “It is __ __ __ __!”
she said.
“It’s fun to go
7. She read all of her books
on a cruise.”
before they were __ __ __.
15
Name Exceptions to the rule
The Vowel Digraph Outlaws

In a vowel digraph, the first vowel is long and the second one is silent. Most words follow
this rule. They are “the good guys.” However, some words do not follow the rule. They are
“the outlaws.” What is the best way to figure out a word you do not know? First, see if it
follows the rule. If that does not make a real word, then try other vowel sounds until the
word makes sense.
Write the letter of the matching picture below in the box.

ea words: team leaf 1. This steak tastes great!
2. Spread some jam on

the bread.
ey words: monkey donkey 3. Trey said, “Hey,

they won!”
ie words: pie tied 4. The police chief saw a

thief stealing pennies.
ei words: ceiling protein 5. Eight neighbors rode

in a sleigh.
a. b. c. d. e.
16
More Rule Breakers

In a vowel digraph, usually the first vowel is long and the
second one is silent. However, in some words, both vowel
sounds are heard. For example, you hear not one but two
vowel sounds in diet and neon.
Read the words in the list. Do you hear two vowel sounds?
Draw a line from each word to the picture that matches it.
quiet
Brian
dial
ruined
pliers
duet
fuel
science
lion
This is something you read. The words may rhyme. Here is one: Roses are red. Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet, and so are you. What is it called?
17
Name Review: Vowel digraphs
Digraph Giraffe
Look at all the vowel digraphs on the giraffe.
Practice using these digraphs to make words.
In each box, circle the digraph you hear in the
picture word. Then write the word.
ea oa ui ai ee oe ei ue oa
ue ow ay ei oa ui ea ay ie
ui ee ai ea ie ow ow ai ey
ea oe ui ee ay ow oa ea ay
18
What Is a Diphthong?
There are 26 letters in the alphabet. Five of the letters are vowels. They are a, e, i, o, and
u. Two letters, y and w, can sometimes be helper vowels.
Usually, when two vowels come together, the first one is long and the second one is
silent. However, in some cases, two vowels come together to make a completely new
sound. Those vowel combinations are called diphthongs. These diphthongs make their
own special sounds: au aw ew oi oy oo ow ou.
Use the list above to find diphthongs in these words. Color in the
two vowels in each word that make a special sound. Then color
the pictures.
faucet saw
dew foil
boy b ro o m
cow house
19
Name Vowel diphthong au
Paul’s Haunted Cabin

When a and u come together in a word, they make one new sound.
It is the sound you hear in Paul and haunted.
Color every square with a dot. The squares that you do not color
will make words with au in them. Use those words to fill in the
blanks in the story. Write • •
the words in order. v P a u l e t a u g h t
•
r a u t o m o b i l e •k
p a u s e d •w • s •
t •
d •
z •
x
• •
i o a p p l e s a u c e
• • •
l f a u c e t j q • u •m • s
•
g • v •o •a •
z h a u l i n g
• • • • •
t h a u n t e d r k m c
• • • • • •
i e y x c a u s e d k p
• • • • •
u h f w b n a u g h t y
____________ ____________ math at Park School. During spring

break, he rented an ________________ and drove to a cabin in the
woods. That night, he heard noises. He tiptoed to the kitchen and
____________ to listen. He saw that a jar of ________________ had
spilled on the floor. The water ____________ was turned on. Yikes!
Was it a ghost? The next day a man came, ____________
firewood. Paul told the man what happened. “Your cabin is not
____________,” he said. “I know what ____________ the trouble.”
Just then he caught a furry animal that was sneaking by. “Here’s
your ghost,” he said. “It’s just a ____________ old cat!”
20
Name Vowel diphthong aw
I Have a Paw! I Have a Claw!

When a and w come together in a word, they make one new sound.
It is the sound you hear in paw and claw.
The cat and the lobster are showing you two

words that have the aw sound. Say that sound.
Now look at each picture below. There are three words
in each box. Circle the word that has the aw sound.
hammer ax saw sip straw drink write draw color
jaw eyes nose chicken owl hawk doctor dentist lawyer
cub fawn colt lawn tree bushes dress shawl coat
crawl run sit sleep dream yawn dawn night noon
You can eat carrots that have been cooked, or you can eat them this way. The word has aw in
it. What is it? On another sheet of paper, make a list of your favorite vegetables.
21
Name Vowel diphthong ew
A New Kind of Stew

When e and w come together in a word, they make one new sound. It is the long-u sound
that you hear in new and stew.
This stew is made of ew words. Choose the correct word to finish

each sentence. Write it in the blank.
Word Bank
flew screws blew knew
dew chew few threw
1. I have a __________ freckles on my face.
2. He bought a hammer, some nails, and five __________.
3. Dad __________ the ball to Sam.
4. Do not __________ gum at school.
5. There is __________ on the roses this morning.
6. The geese __________ south for the winter.
7. The wind __________ his hat off!
8. Jan __________ it would rain.
This is a group of workers. It might be people cleaning up a park. It might be sailors on

a ship. It might be astronauts ready to go into space. It rhymes with stew. What is it?
22
Name Vowel diphthong oi
Join the Letters

When o and i come together in a word, they make one new sound. It is the sound you
hear in join.
Join the letters on the single beads to make new words that
match the pictures. You can use the letters more than once.
b f s
i o p c
e l t n
This is the sound that comes from your throat. You need it to talk or sing. If you get sick,
you may lose it for a while. It rhymes with choice. What is it? Use yours to sing a song.
23
Name Vowel diphthong oy
Troy and Roy

When o and y come together in a word, they make one new sound.
It is the sound you hear in Troy and Roy.
Look at the picture, then read the poem. Fill in the

empty shapes with the oy words in the Word Bank.
Once there was a named

Who had a dog whose name was .
Said , “I think he would
Some kind of little plastic .

Word Bank
boy
So, bought a duck
annoyed
In hopes the would give him .
Roy
destroyed
growled and bit. He was ,
toy
And soon, the duck . . . it was . Troy
enjoy
And that’s the story of the
decoy
That gave to his dog named . joy
24
Name Vowel diphthong oo
Look and Choose

Sometimes the oo diphthong makes the sound you hear in look. Other times oo makes
the sound you hear in choose.
Look at each picture. Color the space red if the name of the
picture has the same sound as in look. Color the space blue if the
name of the picture has the same sound as in choose. You will find
a hidden picture that has the oo sound in it.
This can go fast down a hill. You stand on it with one foot and push with the other
foot. It looks like a skateboard with a handle bar. It has the same vowel sound as
choose. What is it? On another sheet of paper, draw one.
25
Name Vowel diphthong ow
Brown Cow
Usually, when o and w come together in a word, the o is long and the w is silent, as in
snow. However, ow can make another sound, too. It is the sound you hear in cow.
Outline each cow with a brown crayon. Then circle the correct ow
word that matches the picture on each cow.
1. 2.
now clown wow town gown crown
3. 4.
scowl down howl growl how allow
5. 6.
towel bow crowd power flower tower
7. 8.
coward shower Howard crown drown frown

26
Name Vowel diphthong ou
There’s a Mouse in the House!

When o and u come together in a word, they usually make the sound you hear in mouse
and house. (On page 28, you will learn about other sounds that ou can make.)
This little mouse is looking for places to hide. Read each word.
Circle each word that has the same vowel sound as in mouse.
If the word does not have the ou sound, draw a line through it.
rope
deer
shout dog
sound cloud
south
mouth out
sun
pound
round
ouch
book couch
boy
pig king
You can climb up it. You can ski down it. It is taller than a hill. The word has ou in it.
What is it? On another sheet of paper, draw and color a picture of one.
27
Name Vowel diphthong ou
More ou Sounds
When o and u come together in a word, they usually make the sound you hear in mouse.
However, sometimes ou makes other vowel sounds, such as in soup, cousin, shoulder,
and cough.
Here is a puzzle for you. Follow the directions.
1. Using a crayon, color every square that has a v, x, or z in it.

x g r o u p v y o u n g
v z v x x d o u g h z v
b r o u g h t v x z v z
x c o u n t r y v z v z
v z x v t h r o u g h x
b o u l d e r v z x z z
z x v b o u g h t v x z
2. The letters that are left make ou words.

Copy them in order in the sentences below.
A __ __ __ __ __ of children waited by the bus.
A cub is a __ __ __ __ __ bear.
I like to eat cookie __ __ __ __ __.
I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ my lunch to school.
Mexico is a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and so is Canada.
The car drove __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the tunnel.
A huge __ __ __ __ __ __ __ rolled down the mountain.
My uncle __ __ __ __ __ __ a new car.
28
Name Review: Vowel diphthongs
Diphthong Table Tennis

Draw lines to match each diphthong to two pictures that have
that sound and the same spelling.
au
oy
ou
ew
oo
ow
29
What Is an r-Controlled Vowel?

When a vowel is followed by an r, the r changes the sound that the vowel makes. The
vowel is called an r-controlled vowel. Sometimes it is called the “bossy r” because the r
bosses the vowel to make a new sound!
Color Bossy r. See how she can change the sound of the vowel.
cat ➔ cart
bun ➔ burn
chip ➔ chirp
Look at the words below. Write an r in each blank.
da__t fo__k
co__n fe__n
bi__d hamme__
ba__n lette__
ca__d sta__
tu__tIe sto__m
30
Name r-Controlled vowel ar
Mars and Stars

When a is followed by r, it makes the sound you hear in Mars and stars.
This is a man from Mars. He is looking

for things on Earth. Read the ar
words on the left. The words on the
right tell where he can find them.
Write the letter of the matching
clue in the correct star.
1. bark a. behind a pony
2. shark b. in a toy store
3. barn c. in a sweater
4. arm d. on a tree trunk
5. cars e. in a cave
6. yarn f. in the sea
7. chart g. on a lady’s head
8. cart h. near a campfire
9. darkness i. on a human body
10. marbles j. on a farm
11. scarf k. on a classroom wall
12. sparks l. in a parking lot
This is a mark on your skin. You get one after a cut heals. It rhymes with star. What is
it? On another sheet of paper, trace around your hand and draw one of these on it.
31
Name r-Controlled vowel er
Mother and Brother

When e is followed by r, it makes the sound
you hear at the end of mother and brother.
Mother and brother are rhyming words.

Use a ruler to draw lines to match other
er words that rhyme.
serve perm
drummer summer
germ nerve
lumber skater
perky taller
smaller jerky
later number
flower better
letter ever
never shower
They are two seasons of the year. One is hot. One is cold. They are not spring or fall. They
both end with er. What are they? Now say the months of the year. Which four end with er?
32
Name r-Controlled vowel ir
My Third Birthday
When i is followed by r, it makes the sound you
hear in third and birthday.
This picture was taken on my third

birthday. Unscramble the sentences
to see what I got. Write the
sentences on the lines. Then
circle the word in each
sentence that has ir in it.
1. got birthday I cards. four

____________________________________________________________
2. sister gave me My a shirt. striped
____________________________________________________________
3. gave Mom me a skirt. pink
____________________________________________________________
4. a got I baton twirl. to
____________________________________________________________
5. me Dad bird. gave a talking
____________________________________________________________
6. got doll a boy and doll. a girl I
____________________________________________________________
This is a shape. It is not a square or a triangle. It is round. It has the ir sound. What is it?
Draw one on another sheet of paper. Then make it into a picture of something.
33
Name r-Controlled vowel or
All Sorts of Sports

When o is followed by r, it makes the sound you hear in sorts and sports.
Look at the pictures in the sports equipment. If the picture has

the or sound in it, color it. If it does not have the or sound, put an
X on it.
This is a direction on a map. It is not east. It is not west. It is not south. It has the or sound.
What is it? Look at a map. Point to each of the four directions.
34
Name r-Controlled vowel ur
Kurt Got Hurt

When u is followed by r, it makes the
sound you hear in Kurt and hurt.
Kurt cannot finish drawing the

pictures below. His arm is hurt.
Finish each picture to show
the ur word for Kurt.
a purple kite a red turn signal candles burning
a turtle on a rock a church on a hill a pet with fur
something
that can burst a turkey leg a curly wig
Bob lost his glasses. He cannot see clearly. How does everything look to him?
The word rhymes with furry. What is it?
35
Name r-Controlled vowel
combinations
Square Chair
When the letter r follows a vowel, the vowel
sound changes. This also happens when there is
a combination of two vowels together, as in
chair, and when there is an ar-silent-e pattern,
as in square.
Use the puzzle box as a code to help you find the missing words
below. Copy the letters in order in the matching pattern of shapes.
1. b u g s h a r e k e y f a i r
2. s c a r e h a n d s B l a i r
3. f a r d a r e l a m p b a r e
4. p a i r f u n s t a i r s j a r
5. c a r e a d s t a r e h a i r
1. Let’s some cotton candy when we
get to the .
2. I like to my sister, .
3. I you to walk in the snow with feet.
4. Never leave a of skates on the .
5. I don’t if if you at my .
36
combinations
Let’s Hear a Cheer!

When the letter r follows a vowel, the vowel sound changes. This also happens when
there is a combination of two vowels together, as in hear and cheer.
Write the number of the matching picture on each megaphone.
deer
1. 2.
tear
gears
3. 4.
cheer
spear
5. 6.
ear
The letters e-a-r can make two other sounds: the air sound as in bear
and the er sound as in earth.
Draw a line from each picture to the correct word.
pear early
tear pearls
wear learn
37
combinations
Oar Store Door

When the letter r follows a vowel, the vowel sound
changes. This also happens when there is a combination
of two vowels together, as in oar and door, and when
there is an or_silent e pattern, as in store.
Circle the correct word to complete each sentence.
1. 2.
more wore
Eagles into the sky. She a big hat.
soar core
3. 4.
floor snore
Bev mopped the . Did you hear Dad ?
boar chore
5. 6.
poor sore
We heard a lion . My finger is .
roar wore
7. 8.
door score
The homework is on the . The boat landed on the .
board shore
This is the part of the apple you do not eat. It is the middle. What is it called? Name three
things you can make out of apples.
38
combinations
Four Different Sounds

When the letter r follows a vowel, the vowel sound changes.
The letters o-u-r can have four different sounds.
Write the first letter of each picture on the

blank. Then read each word. Do you hear
four different o-u-r sounds?
Words that sound like or:
1. ___ ___ ___ ___ 2. ___ ___ ___ ___
3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Words that sound like oo + r:

4. ___ ___ ___ ___ 5. ___ ___ ___ ___
Words that sound like er:
6. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
7. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Words that sound like ou + er:

8. ___ ___ ___ 9. ___ ___ ___ ___
10. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
This is a time word. It is sixty minutes. It rhymes with flour. What is it? On another sheet
of paper, draw two clocks: one showing 4:00 and one showing 5:00.
39
The Outlaw W
The Good Guys The Outlaw W
When ar is in a word, it usually However, when ar follows w, it
makes the sound you hear in car. makes the or sound as in warm.
When or is in a word, it usually However, when or follows w, it

makes the sound you hear in corn. makes the er sound as in worm.
word worst wardrobe

world warning warped
worry warrior wart work
Read each word in the pool. Then write each one under the word
that has the same sound.
worm
warm
_______________ _______________
_______________ _______________
_______________ _______________
_______________ _______________
_______________ _______________
40
Word Ending Outlaws

The Good Guys Word Ending Outlaws
When ar is in a word, it usually However, when the letters ar or the
makes the sound you hear in car. letters or come at the end of a word,
they sometimes make the er sound
as in collar and doctor.
When or is in a word, it usually
makes the sound you hear in corn.
Read each word. Remember to say the er sound at the end of

each one. Draw a line to match the words and their pictures.
1. dollar
2. cellar
3. pillar
4. alligator
5. color
6. sailor
7. tractor
8. janitor
41
Name Review: r-Controlled
vowels
Do You Know Bossy R?

You learned that when the letter r
follows a vowel, the vowel sound
changes. Show what you know.
Circle the correct word.
corn barn fern short shirt chart herd hard head
join hurt horn purse nurse verse floor sore door
stairs cares shares deer eat ear four pour store
cure car core barn bean bear word worm work
Use each picture word in a sentence. Say your sentences to a member of your family.
42
Name Homophones
Copycat Words
Sometimes two words sound alike when you say them, but
they are spelled differently. They also have different meanings.
They are called homophones.
Read each sentence. Write the correct

word in the blank. Check your answer by
looking up the word in a dictionary to
find the meaning.
1. The wind ____________ hard during the storm.

(blue, blew)
2. I can hardly ____________ for my birthday!

(wait, weight)
3. The grizzly ____________ slept all winter.

(bear, bare)
4. Sharks live in the ____________.

(see, sea)
5. I want Mom to ____________ my new teacher.

(meat, meet)
6. A baby ____________ is called a fawn.

(deer, dear)
7. Kelly tripped and fell down the ____________.

(stares, stairs)
Write the homophones for these words:

heal ____________ eight ____________ steel ____________ reed ____________
43
Name Rhyming words
Silly Rhymes
Finish each silly sentence with a word that rhymes with the
underlined word. Use the words in the Word Bank.
Word Bank
tray jail dream
snow straw shout
When I forget my coat, I know, Oh yeah, I’m cool. What can I say?
that’s the day it’s sure to And then I tripped and dropped my
________! ________.
He did a trick and wagged his tail. I ate a cloud of pink ice cream.
Please get me out of doggie ______! Then I woke up. It was a ________.
This room is too quiet. I must go out I laughed because she never saw
and scream and laugh and jump the spider crawling up her _______.
and ________!
44
Name Review
Hide and Seek

The words below have vowel digraphs, diphthongs, or
r-controlled vowels. Find them in the puzzle and color the squares.
The words go across, down, and diagonally.
eight blue spoon oar foil raccoon meat
point faucet ceiling collar sea barn car
shook cool through aim coat you fur
sleigh laundry bloom smaller row donkey raw

farmer toy ear turkey snow
c s l e i g h j v t u r k e y b
e e a r j h d s t b f p c o o l
i a j g x z m l p u h k z j u o
l g h i b y t s c v j l n e n o
i b q z x u r n f l k k z c v m
n t h b z x y v p l c e a j p s
g h f k r b t y z x v u d x o p
l r o i d x s x z s l n v r i o
a o b a k s h z j m d z a o n o
u u l t r n o q c a o c i w t n
n g u o a o o x z l n o m f b e
d h e y w w k j j l k l e o a i
r f a u c e t p x e e l a i r g
y f a r m e r b b r y a t l n h
r a c c o o n z j f u r c o a t
If you found every word, then you will see the uncolored words make a shape.
It is something you can hide behind when you play hide and seek. What is it?
Color it green and brown.
45
Name Review
Skills Test
Write the missing letters to spell each word.
s__ __l b__ __ t spr__ __ s__ __l qu__ __n fl__ __s
t__ __s thr__ __ fr__ __t gl__ __ turk__ __
l__ __n l__ __ndry br__ __m c__ __ s__ __
h__ __se b__ __ scr__ __ c__ __ns f__ __r
t__ __tle sh__ __k g__ __l d__ __r ch__ __r
alligat__ __ hamm__ __ w__ __ms d__ __r __ __r
p__ __r b__ __ks __ __ght f__ __k c__ __ling
46
Answer Key
Page 4 Page 9 Page 15 Page 23

Vowel digraph pictures: 1. ceiling; 2. leisure; 1. Sue; 2. suit; 3. blue; point, foil, oil, soil, boil,
boat, team, rain, soap, 3. seized; 4. protein; 4. glued; 5. clues; noise, coin, coil;
ties, fruit 5. either; 6. received; 6. bruise; 7. due; 8. true voice
Neil
Page 5 Page 16 Page 24
Page 10 1. c; 2. e; 3. d; 4. a; 5. b boy, Troy, Roy, Troy, enjoy,
wait
1. monkey; 2. turkey; toy, Troy, Roy, decoy, toy,
Page 17
bag sad
nail ra
in 3. key; 4. money joy, Roy, annoyed,
maid
destroyed, toy, Troy, Roy
in
fan
dog
tra
59 55
51 quiet
ed
53 52
pa 50
e
se
58 56 54
int
Page 25
jok
60
at
Brian
bik
man c
57
in e 2
1 49
pa 3 48 47 dial
in
bra
44
11 26 28 blue blue
n mail 4 10
27 35 43
45 46
ruined
blue
blue red
fu 5
9 12 18 25
29
34
36 42
blue
6 8 pliers
il
13
drain 24 blue
sa
7
bait 19
blue
14
17
20 33 37 duet red
30
23 41
38
15 16
Check children’s markings. 21
22 31 32
39 40 fuel
blue blue
blue
4. to the garden; Page 11 science

red blue
lion
tail pie, cries, flies, tied, fries; red
blue blue
blue
blue
dries red
Page 6 red
blue
May Page 12 poem blue blue blue
say
tray g o a l Page 18
scooter
gray
t a oa: goat, ai: train, ue: glue;
ray
b o a t ay: hay, ei: ceiling, ie: pie; Page 26
pay
stay a s l ui: fruit, ow: snow, 1. clown; 2. crown;

spray s o
ey: donkey; oe: toe, 3. down; 4. growl; 5. towel;
hay
t h r o a t
bay
o f
ee: wheel, ea: seal 6. flower; 7. shower;
sway
t o a d 8. frown
Page 19
jay d
au, aw; ew, oi; oy, oo; ow, Page 27
s o a p
Page 7 ou ou words: shout, sound,
wreath, read, beads, meat; goats mouth, south, cloud, out,
Page 20
leak, dream, jeans, leap; round, ouch, pound,
Page 13 Paul, taught, automobile,
wheat, leaf, stream, seal; couch;
1. toes; 2. goes; 3. foe; paused, applesauce,
Check children’s mountain
4. doe; 5. hoe; 6. Joe; faucet, hauling, haunted,
markings.; hoe, toes; Joe, foe; goes, caused, naughty Page 28
weak doe; group, young, dough,
Moe
Page 21
Page 8 brought, country, through,
saw, straw, draw; jaw,
boulder, bought
k w h e e l p x v l m Page 14 hawk, lawyer; fawn, lawn,
n g s a o w e e k u y shawl; crawl, yawn, dawn; Page 29
d b h z f e e t g o i I saw
a tow
truck. Throw the
ball.
raw au: laundry, faucet;
s e e n z s l b r b e oy: boy, toys; ou: house,
Page 22
p r e m f l s w e e t glow in Row, cloud; ew: screw, blew;
Fireflies the
dark.
row, your
boat. 1. few; 2. screws; 3. threw;
e x p p z e j f e e c row
oo: book, moon; ow:
e j s t r e e t n f p 4. chew; 5. dew; 6. flew;
clown, cow
d h e e l t n d a u y
We
made
a
snow-
man.
Mow the
lawn.
7. blew; 8. knew;
crew Page 30
I have
Check children’s markings. a
polka-
bow. Blow a
bubble.
dart, fork; corn, fern; bird,
dot
sleep hammer; barn, letter; card,
star; turtle, storm
47
Answer Key
Page 31 Page 37 Page 44

1. d; 2. f; 3. j; 4. i; 5. l; 1. cheer; 2. deer; 3. spear; snow, tray; jail, dream;
6. c; 7. k; 8. a; 9. e; 10. b; 4. tear; 5. ear; 6. gears shout, straw
11. g; 12. h;
scar pear early
Page 45
tear pearls c s l e i g h j v t u r k e y b
Page 32 e e a r j h d s t b f p c o o l
wear learn
serve–nerve, i a j g x z m l p u h k z j u o
l g h i b y t s c v j l n e n o
drummer–summer, i b q z x u r n f l k k z c v m
germ–perm, Page 38 n t h b z x y v p l c e a j p s
g h f k r b t y z x v u d x o p
lumber–number, 1. soar; 2. wore; 3. floor; l r o i d x s x z s l n v r i o
perky–jerky, smaller–taller, 4. snore; 5. roar; 6. sore; a o b a k s h z j m d z a o n o
u u l t r n o q c a o c i w t n
later–skater, 7. board; 8. shore; n g u o a o o x z l n o m f b e
flower–shower, core d h e y w w k j j l k l e o a i
r f a u c e t p x e e l a i r g
letter–better, never–ever; y f a r m e r b b r y a t l n h
Page 39
summer, winter, r a c c o o n z j f u r c o a t
1. four; 2. pour; 3. court;
September, October,
4. your; 5. tour; c s l e i g h j v t u r k e y b
November, December e e a r j h d s t b f p c o o l
6. courage; 7. journey; i a j g x z m l p u h k z j u o
Page 33 8. our; 9. sour; 10. flour; l g h i b y t s c v j l n e n o
i b q z x u r n f l k k z c v m
1. I got four birthday cards. hour n t h b z x y v p l c e a j p s
2. My sister gave me a g h f k r b t y z x v u d x o p
Page 40 l r o i d x s x z s l n v r i o
striped shirt. 3. Mom gave a o b a k s h z j m d z a o n o
warm: wardrobe, warning,
me a pink skirt. 4. I got a u u l t r n o q c a o c i w t n
warped, warrior, wart; n g u o a o o x z l n o m f b e
baton to twirl. 5. Dad gave d h e y w w k j j l k l e o a i
worm: word, worst, world,
me a talking bird. 6. I got a r f a u c e t p x e e l a i r g
worry, work y f a r m e r b b r y a t l n h
boy doll and a girl doll.; r a c c o o n z j f u r c o a t
circle Page 41
a tree
Page 34 1. dollar
2. cellar Page 46
3. pillar
sailboat, spray, seal,
4. alligator
queen, flies; toes, throw,
fruit, glue, turkey; lion,
5. color
laundry, broom, cow, saw;
6. sailor
house, boy, screw, coins,
7. tractor four; turtle, shark, girl,
8. janitor door, chair; alligator,
hammer, worms, deer, ear;
pear, books, eight, fork,
north ceiling
Page 42
Page 35 barn, shirt, herd; horn,
Check children’s nurse, door; stairs, ear,
drawings.; four; car, bear, worm
blurry
Page 43
Page 36 1. blew; 2. wait; 3. bear;
1. share, fair; 2. scare, 4. sea; 5. meet; 6. deer;
Blair; 3. dare, bare; 4. pair, 7. stairs;
stairs; 5. care, stare, hair heal–heel, eight–ate,
steel–steal, reed–read
48

Vowel Digraphs and Diphthongs k-2

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Scholastic Success With

Vowel Digraphs & Diphthongs

New York • Toronto • London • Auckland • Sydney

Cover art by Amy Vangsgard

Copyright © 2004 Scholastic, Inc.

the concept) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Diphthong Table Tennis (Review:

What Is a Vowel Digraph?

vowels go walking, the first one does the talking!”

boat team dog

rain hat soap

six ties fruit

1. To find out where this snail is going, circle only

The children must play indoors today. You can

This team won the championship game!

htearw adre adsbe tmae

akle rdmae ajesn elap

atehw feal mrstea asel

This teen queen loves to solve puzzles,

seen street green feed

peel sheep sleet sweet

week feet wheel beep

Now mark the vowels in each word in the word list.

Sheila Helps Keith

2. Dad likes to rest when he has some _____________ time.

4. Roast beef is a good source of _____________.

either received ceiling

protein seized leisure

Kelsey and Lacey

Kelsey and Lacey like dot-to-dot puzzles.

Solve these riddles with ey words.

1. It swings through trees. It is a ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.

3. It can lock or unlock a door. It is a ___ ___ ___.

4. It is dollars, quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies.

Ties, Ties, Ties

Look at all the ties! Fill in the blanks with the

Moan and Groan

Joan has a broken leg. She will

too! Read the clues and fill in

1. what you score 3.

4. sails on the lake

Use Joe’s toes to help you write words that have oe

1. _____ _____ _____ _____ 2. _____ _____ _____ _____

3. _____ _____ _____ 4. _____ _____ _____

5. _____ _____ _____ 6. _____ _____ _____

a garden tool __________ part of your foot __________

a boy’s name __________ an enemy __________

when something leaves __________ a female deer __________

Look at the three-piece mini-puzzles below. They do not make

suit blue clues glued

1. __ __ __ and 2. She saw a

5. Sue and her

The Vowel Digraph Outlaws

Write the letter of the matching picture below in the box.

ea words: team leaf 1. This steak tastes great!

2. Spread some jam on

ey words: monkey donkey 3. Trey said, “Hey,

ie words: pie tied 4. The police chief saw a

ei words: ceiling protein 5. Eight neighbors rode

More Rule Breakers

Paul’s Haunted Cabin

____________ ____________ math at Park School. During spring

I Have a Paw! I Have a Claw!

The cat and the lobster are showing you two

1. It swings through trees. It is a _ _ _ _ _ _.

3. It can lock or unlock a door. It is a _ _ ___.

1. ___ _ _ _ 2. _ _ _ ___

3. ___ _ _ 4. _ _ ___

5. ___ _ _ 6. _ _ ___

a garden tool part of your foot

a boy’s name an enemy

when something leaves a female deer

1. __ and 2. She saw a

math at Park School. During spring

A __ of children waited by the bus.

I like to eat cookie __.

Mexico is a __ and so is Canada.

The car drove __ the tunnel.

A huge __ rolled down the mountain.

My uncle a new car.