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Activity: Bossy R – Spellings

  • Phase 3: Full Alphabetic Course
  • Syllable Types & Syllable Division
  • Syllable Types

Standards

Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Reader Goals

I can read and spell words with a bossy R spelling.

Focus

different spellings of bossy R sounds: ar, ir, er, ear, ur, or, ore

Helpful Hints

Readers will need to memorize the different spellings of the /ər/ sound: ur, ir, er, ear.

Additional Resources

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Differentiated Instruction
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Begin Lesson

Guide

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  1. Point to the headers as you Say
    The Bossy R syllable type has three different sounds. The /är/ sound as in star, the /ər/ sound as in bird, and the /ôr/ sound as in horse.
  2. Say
    Now let’s look at how we spell the sounds of bossy R. There are five different ways to spell them.

 

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Guide

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  1. Ask
    Let’s start with the words that make the /är/ sound.
  2. Point to each word as you Read
    star
    Bart
    starts
    jar
    far
  3. Ask
    Look at how these words are spelled. What vowel do you see in each word?
    (vowel A)
  4. Say
    So it’s the letters ar that spell the /är/ sound.
  5. Read the words together
    star
    Bart
    starts
    jar
    far

 

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Guide

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  1. Ask
    Now let’s look at the words that make the /ôr/ sound.
  2. Point to each word as you Read
    horse
    popcorn
    corn
    before
    chore
    more
  3. Say
    So it’s the letters or or ore that spell the /ôr/ sound.
  4. Read the words together
    horse
    popcorn
    corn
    before
    chore
    more

 

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Guide

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  1. Ask
    Now let’s look at the words that make the /ər/ sound. It is a tricky one because there are three different ways to spell this sound.
  2. Point to each word as you Read
    bird
    whirl
    swirl
  3. Say
    So the letters ir spell the /ər/ sound.
  4. Point to each word as you Read
    Fern
    cover
  5. Say
    So the letters er also spell the /ər/ sound.
    Sometimes the letters ear also spell the /ər/ sound as in planet Earth.
  6. Point to each word as you Read
    turn
    Burn
  7. Say
    So the letters ur spell the /ər/ sound, too.
  8. Read the words together
    bird
    whirl
    swirl
    Fern
    cover
    turn
    burn

 

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Guide

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  1. Say
    Let’s review the sounds and spellings of the bossy R syllable type together.
  2. Point to the words/pictures as you Say
    The letters ar spell the /är/ sound: Bart, starts, jar, far.
  3. Point to the words/pictures as you Say
    The letters ir, er, ear, and ur spell the /ər/ sound: Fern, turn, stir, whirl, burn, cover, Earth.
  4. Point to the words/pictures as you Say
    The letters or and ore spell the /ôr/ sound: popcorn, corn, before, chore, more.

 

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Guide

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  1. Say
    Let’s read the poem again. When you see the bossy R syllable type, check the vowel to confirm what sound it would make. 
  2. Have readers read the poem on their own. Observe readers to see if they are reading the bossy R type words accurately.

 

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