Using visual and sound cues, compare and contrast closed and long vowel digraph team syllable types so readers can understand the characteristics of each and expand their decoding to more syllable types. If your readers are not familiar with the open and closed syllables, make sure to go over the lessons in Phase 3: Unit 1. Syllable Types & Syllable Division.
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Activity: Long Vowel Digraph Team
Standards
Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Reader Goals
I can read and spell words with the long vowel digraph team spelling.
Target Words
• VC: bat, bran, cot, red, step
• VV: bait, brain, coat, read, steep
Helpful Hints
Guide
- Point to the picture on the left and Ask
What is the syllable type where one vowel is followed by a consonant sound?
(closed syllable)
What sound does the vowel make in a closed syllable?
(short vowel sound) - Say
I see the letter V, which represents the vowel, is locked inside. It is not free to go a long way and say its long sound, so the vowel makes its short vowel sound in a closed syllable. - Point to the picture on the right and Ask
How many vowels do you see here?
(two)
Are they free or locked inside?
(free) - Say
When we have two vowels next to each other, side by side, it signals a different pronunciation. If you look at the letters closely, you’ll notice the first V has its mouth open while the second V doesn’t. Together they make the long sound of the first vowel: it is the same as the name of the first vowel; and the second vowel is silent.
We will call it a long vowel digraph team syllable because they function as a digraph where two letters make one sound.
Guide
- Say
Now we’ll explore how two vowels next to each other signal the pronunciation of the first vowel.
Let’s get started! - Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(1)
What is the vowel in this word?
(vowel A)
What comes after the vowel?
(consonant T)
What syllable type do you think it is?
(closed syllable) - Say
It is a closed syllable because there is one vowel with a consonant after it and the vowel makes its short sound.
Read the word with the short vowel pronunciation: /băt/.
(/băt/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see a bat. Nestor hits the ball with his bat. - Read the word together
bat
(bat) - Say
Now let’s add another vowel next to the vowel a in the word bat. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(2)
What are the vowels in this word?
(vowels A and i)
Are the vowels next to each other?
(yes)
Do you see the pattern VV?
(yes) - Say
When you see the pattern VV, it can signal the first vowel to say its long sound. The long sound is the same as the name of the vowel. We will call this a long vowel digraph team syllable because the vowels together make the long sound of the first vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Now read the word with the long vowel pronunciation of the first vowel: /bāt/.
(/bāt/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see the bait on the fishhook. - Read the word together
bait
(bait) - Say
So changing the pronunciation of the vowel changes the meaning of the word. That’s why it is so important to recognize the long vowel digraph team pattern: VV.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another one. - Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(1)
What is the vowel in this word?
(vowel A)
What comes after the vowel?
(consonant N)
What syllable type do you think it is?
(closed syllable) - Say
It is a closed syllable because there is one vowel with a consonant after it and the vowel makes its short sound.
Read the word with the short vowel pronunciation: /brăn/.
(/brăn/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see a spoonful of bran which is a type of grain. - Read the word together
bran
(bran) - Say
Now let’s add another vowel next to the vowel a in the word bran. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(2)
What are the vowels in this word?
(vowels A and i)
Are the vowels next to each other?
(yes)
Do you see the pattern VV?
(yes) - Say
When you see the pattern VV, it can signal the first vowel to say its long sound. The long sound is the same as the name of the vowel. We will call this a long vowel digraph team syllable because the vowels together make the long sound of the first vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Now read the word with the long vowel pronunciation of the first vowel: /brān/.
(/brān/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
We use our brain to think. - Read the word together
brain
(brain) - Say
Notice that the first vowel is pronounced with its long sound and the second vowel is silent in a long vowel digraph team word.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another one. - Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(1)
What is the vowel in this word?
(vowel O)
What comes after the vowel?
(consonant T)
What syllable type do you think it is?
(closed syllable) - Say
It is a closed syllable because there is one vowel with a consonant after it and the vowel makes its short sound.
Read the word with the short vowel pronunciation: /kŏt/.
(/kŏt/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see a cot, a small bed for babies. - Read the word together
cot
(cot) - Say
Now let’s add another vowel next to the vowel o in the word cot. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(2)
What are the vowels in this word?
(vowels O and A)
Are the vowels next to each other?
(yes)
Do you see the pattern VV?
(yes) - Say
When you see the pattern VV, it can signal the first vowel to say its long sound. The long sound is the same as the name of the vowel. We will call this a long vowel digraph team syllable because the vowels together make the long sound of the first vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Now read the word with the long vowel pronunciation of the first vowel: /kōt/.
(/kōt/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see a winter coat. - Read the word together
coat
(coat) - Say
Notice that the first vowel is pronounced with its long sound and the second vowel is silent in a long vowel digraph team word.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another one. - Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(1)
What is the vowel in this word?
(vowel E)
What comes after the vowel?
(consonant D)
What syllable type do you think it is?
(closed syllable) - Say
It is a closed syllable because there is one vowel with a consonant after it and the vowel makes its short sound.
Read the word with the short vowel pronunciation: /rĕd/.
(/rĕd/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
I see Kim painting. The color is red. - Read the word together
red
(red) - Say
Now let’s add another vowel next to the vowel e in the word red. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(2)
What are the vowels in this word?
(vowels E and A)
Are the vowels next to each other?
(yes)
Do you see the pattern VV?
(yes) - Say
When you see the pattern VV, it can signal the first vowel to say its long sound. The long sound is the same as the name of the vowel. We will call this a long vowel digraph team syllable because the vowels together make the long sound of the first vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Now read the word with the long vowel pronunciation of the first vowel: /rēd/.
(/rēd/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
The kids read books together. - Read the word together
read
(read) - Say
Once again, we notice that the first vowel is pronounced with its long sound and the second vowel is silent in a long vowel digraph team word.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another one. - Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(1)
What is the vowel in this word?
(vowel E)
What comes after the vowel?
(consonant P)
What syllable type do you think it is?
(closed syllable) - Say
It is a closed syllable because there is one vowel with a consonant after it and the vowel makes its short sound.
Read the word with the short vowel pronunciation: /stĕp/.
(/stĕp/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
Take one step at a time when you climb the stairs. - Read the word together
step
(step) - Say
Now let’s add another vowel next to the vowel e in the word step. - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the word and Ask
How many vowels do you see in this word?
(2)
What are the vowels in this word?
(vowels E and E)
Are the vowels next to each other?
(yes)
Do you see the pattern VV?
(yes) - Say
When you see the pattern VV, it can signal the first vowel to say its long sound. The long sound is the same as the name of the vowel. We will call this a long vowel digraph team syllable because the vowels together make the long sound of the first vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Now read the word with the long vowel pronunciation of the first vowel: /stēp/.
(/stēp/) - Push next to continue
Guide
- Point to the picture and Say
The mountains are steep. - Read the word together
steep
(steep) - Say
Notice that it is the first vowel e that makes the long sound because the second vowel is silent in a long vowel digraph team word.
Guide
- Say
Let’s review how the VV pattern signals the long vowel sound of the first vowel in the words. - Point to each word as you Read: Say
Let’s read the words together.
bat – bait
bran – brain
cot – coat
red – read
step – steep - Ask
So what happens when there is the pattern VV?
(The first vowel makes its long sound but the second vowel is silent.) - Say
We call this pattern long vowel digraph team because two vowels make one sound together. So when you recognize this pattern in a word, it signals to you to pronounce the first vowel with its long sound.
