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Vowel Teams and Diphthongs Skill Explainer

Flash Card Demo: Vowel Teams 'oa' and 'ow'

Having a consistent flash card routine helps students review what they've already learned and make connections to what's coming next. This can be helpful when reviewing two different vowel teams that can make the same sound, like 'oa', as in boat, and 'ow', like in snow. Watch as literacy coach Ashlea Edwards, M.Ed., demonstrates how to warm up with flash cards for these vowel teams that both make the long /ō/ sound.

Here's what you can say when warming up with these flash cards that have the keyword picture:

'o', 'a', boat, /ō/.
'o', 'w', snow, /ō/.

Video thumbnail for Flash Card Demo: Vowel Teams 'oa' and 'ow' — Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book

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These vowel teams make the /ō/ sound. 'oa' says /ō/ at the beginning or middle of words. 'oa', "boat," /ō/. 'ow' says /ō/ at the end of words. 'ow', "snow," /ō/. The second part to this rule is that 'ow' can also be used to spell /ō/ if it is followed by the letter 'n'. Most of these words are the past tense version of words like "grow" and "show" — "grow," "groan," "show," "shown."

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Support Materials

Vowel Team and Diphthong Flash Cards with Pictures (5x7)

Print these 5x7 letter flash cards with pictures to help students practice vowel teams, like 'oa', and diphthongs, like /oi/.

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and several anonymous donors.

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