2. When to Teach R-Controlled Vowels

Once students know short and long vowel sounds and can identify closed and open syllables, they can learn about r-controlled vowels. 

Here's a reminder of where you are on our phonics continuum – what you have taught and what's coming up. This is not the only way to do things, and many programs will teach skills in a different order. That's okay, as long as students learn all the skills.

Grade Level

We begin teaching students about r-controlled vowels in first grade, starting with 'ar' and 'or'. We introduce these first because they have distinct sounds and are generally easier for students to recognize and decode. 

As students progress, you can add 'er', 'ir', and 'ur', all of which make the /er/ sound. These tend to be trickier, as there's no reliable spelling rule to determine which pattern to use. For that reason, you may want to start by teaching them for reading only, and then gradually introduce them for spelling, using plenty of scaffolds and practice.

If you have older students who have not mastered short and long vowel sounds, it's critical you spend time working with those vowel sounds and explicitly teaching open and closed syllables before teaching about r-controlled vowels.

Prerequisite Skills

Before learning about r-controlled vowels, students should:

1. Know the terms consonant and vowel
2. Be able to identify consonants and vowels
3. Know the short and long vowel sounds
4. Have a basic understanding of what a syllable is
5. Know how to read and spell closed syllables and open syllables