3.6 Explicitly Teach Other Vowel Teams and Diphthongs

Flash Card Routines

Having a consistent flash card routine helps students review what they’ve already learned and make connections to what’s coming next. Watch as literacy coaches Ashlea Edwards, M.Ed., and Elizabeth Hogan, M.Ed., demonstrate how to warm up with flash cards for vowel teams. 

Here are some steps you can use to teach any other vowel team!

Begin with Introducing the new vowel team or diphthong with the picture flashcard.

Say,

For this vowel team (or diphthong) we are going to say …

• letter name(s)
• keyword picture
• sound
• generalization (if applicable)

If there is a specific rule, or generalization, for when to use the vowel team or diphthong, or where it can appear in a word, tell that to the students. Otherwise, tell students that for many vowel teams and diphthongs there are no rules and we must practice when to use the various patterns. 

Next, write some words on the board with the vowel team or diphthong. Have students segment the sounds to read the words. 

Say, 

Today, we will read and spell words that have the vowel team ... 

Using your flash card deck with letters only (no pictures), pull out word chaining cards. These will be a mix of consonants, digraphs, and the target vowel team. 

Finally, complete a dictation activity with your students. On the first day of introducing a new vowel team or diphthong, have students practice writing the vowel team while saying the sound, in the sound section of the dictation paper. Repeat this at least three times. In the word section, dictate words with the new vowel team or diphthong. Say the word, students repeat the word, segment the sounds in the word together, and then students will write the words. 

Check out the Resource Hub for lists of words to use in lesson planning for various vowel teams and diphthongs.