Help readers understand how they can spell different bossy R sounds.
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Activity: Words Are Made of Sounds
Standards
Count, blend, and segment single-syllable words that include the bossy R sound.
Reader Goals
I can spell words with the bossy R spelling.
Focus
• ar: far, star, dark, hard
• or: for, sort, sport
Helpful Hints
Guide
- Say
We are going to practice listening for the bossy R sound in words. This will help us to read and spell more words. Let’s listen for each sound in the word. Then we will spell each sound in a sound box.
First, we will do words with the Bossy R sound /är/ as in the word car. - Point to the picture and Say
I see the ball skipping in the outfield. It is far away from the pitch. Say far.
(far) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word far: /f/ – /är/.
We tapped two boxes because the word far has only two sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word far.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word far?
(/f/) - Ask
What letter spells the /f/ sound?
(letter F) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear next in the word far? It is tricky because it sounds like the name of the letter r. But it is a vowel sound. It is the bossy r sound /är/ as in car, star, and far.
(/är/) - Ask
What letters spell the vowel sound /är/?
(letters AR) - Say
When the letter r comes after the vowel a, it bosses the vowel a to say a sound that is different from either the short or long sound of a. - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
The letters ar are in one sound box because they make one sound. - Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word far: /f/ – /är/.
(/f/ – /är/) - Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word far.
(far)
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
The player that hits the winning ball is a star for the team. Say star.
(star) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word star: /s/ – /t/ – /är/.
We tapped three boxes because the word star has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word star.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word star?
(/s/) - Ask
What letter spells the /s/ sound?
(letter S) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Ask
What consonant sound do you hear after the /s/ sound?
(/t/) - Ask
What consonant spells the /t/ sound?
(letter T) - Push next to show the second letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Stretch out the sound /är/ in the word star: Ask
What vowel sound do you hear after the consonant blend /st/ in the word star?
(/är/) - Ask
What letters spell the vowel sound /är/?
(letters AR) - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
The letters ar in one sound box because they make one sound. - Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word star: /s/ – /t/ – /är/.
(/s/ – /t/ – /är/) - Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word fast: star.
(star)
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
At night, when the sun sets it is dark. Say dark.
(dark) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word dark: /d/ – /är/ – /k/.
We tapped three boxes because the word dark has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word dark.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word dark?
(/d/) - Ask
What letter spells the /d/ sound?
(letter D) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Stretch out the sound /är/ in the word dark: Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word dark?
(/är/) - Ask
What letters spell the vowel sound /är/?
(letters AR) - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the last sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear last, after the /är/ in the word dark?
(/k/) - Ask and Say
What letter spells the /k/ sound?
(letter K)
We spell the /k/ sound with the letter K when it follows a bossy R. - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word dark: /d/ – /är/ – /k/. - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word: /d-är-k/. - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /därk/.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
A cricket bat is hard and flat. Say hard.
(hard) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word hard: /h/ – /är/ – /d/.
We tapped three boxes because the word hard has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word hard.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word hard?
(/h/) - Ask
What letter spells the /h/ sound?
(letter H) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the vowel sound. - Stretch out the sound /är/ in the word hard: Ask
What vowel sound do you hear after the beginning sound /h/ in the word hard?
(/är/) - Ask
What letters spell the vowel sound /är/?
(letters AR) - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the last sound in hard. - Ask
What consonant sound do you hear at the end of the word hard?
(/d/) - Ask
What letter spells the /d/ sound?
(letter D) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word hard: /h/ – /är/ – /d/. - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word: /h-är-d/. - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /härd/.
Guide
- Say
Now let’s spell words with the Bossy R sound /ôr/ as in the word horse. - Point to the picture and Say
The cricket bat is for Nestor to hit the ball. Say for.
(for) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word for: /f/ – /ôr/.
We tapped two boxes because the word for has only two sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word for.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word for?
(/f/) - Ask
What letter spells the /f/ sound?
(letter F) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear next in the word for? It is another bossy r vowel sound. It is the bossy r sound /ôr/ as in horse, corn, and for.
(/ôr/) - Ask
What letters spell the vowel sound /ôr/?
(letters OR) - Say
When letter r comes after the vowel o, it bosses the letter o to say a sound that is different from either the short or long sound of o. - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
The letters or are in one sound box because they make one sound. - Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word for: /f/ – /ôr/.
(/f/ – /ôr/) - Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word: for.
(for)
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
We sort bossy R words by their sound. Say sort.
(sort) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word sort: /s/ – /ôr/ – /t/.
We tapped three boxes because the word sort has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word sort.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word sort?
(/s/) - Ask
What letter spells the /s/ sound?
(letter S) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Stretch out the sound /ôr/ in the word sort: Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word sort?
(/ôr/) - Ask
How do you spell the vowel sound /ôr/?
(letters OR) - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the last sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear after the vowel sound /ôr/ in the word sort?
(/t/) - Ask
What letter spells the /t/ sound?
(letter T) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word sort: /s/ – /ôr/ – /t/. - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word: /s-ôr-t/. - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /sôrt/.
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
The sport of Cricket is played in a large field. Say sport.
(sport) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word sport: /s/- /p/ – /ôr/ -/t/.
We tapped four boxes because the word sport has four sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word sport.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word sport?
(/s/) - Ask
What letter spells the /s/ sound?
(letter S) - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Ask
What consonant sound do you hear after the /s/ sound?
(/p/) - Ask
What consonant spells the /p/ sound?
(letter P) - Push next to show the second letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Stretch out the sound /ôr/ in the word sport: Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word sport?
(/ôr/) - Ask
What letters spell the /ôr/ sound?
(letters OR) - Push next to show the spelling of the bossy R
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the last sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear after the vowel sound /ôr/ in the word sport?
(/t/) - Ask
What letter spells the /t/ sound?
(letter T) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word sport: /s/ – /p/ – /ôr/ – /t/. - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now slowly blend the sounds together as you read the word: /s-p-ôr-t/. - Say the word.
Now say it fast: /spôrt/.
Guide
- Say
Let’s practice reading bossy R words that have an AR spelling. - Point to each word as you Read
far, star, dark, hard.
Guide
- Say
Let’s practice reading bossy R words that have an OR spelling. - Point to each word as you Read
for, sort, sport.
