10. Resource Hub: Teaching 'y' as a vowel

Here are links to all of the teaching resources in this skill explainer as well as additional activities for your classroom. Please use them freely and share them with your colleagues.

Videos

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Antonio Fierro: Let's use the build-a-word strategy, working with open syllables. The word is cry. "Don't make me cry." What's the word? Cry. Let's see how many phonemes are in the word cry ... /c/, /r/, /ī/ ... /c/, /r/, /ī/. There are three phonemes, so we have three lines ... /c/, /r/, /ī/. Which grapheme represents that first phoneme, that /c/? The 'c'. The second phoneme is /r/, which grapheme? Ah, 'r'. And the last phoneme here in the word "cry" is /ī/, but this is a one-syllable word, and at the end of a one-syllable word that long /ī/ sound is usually represented by the letter 'y'. Let's spell that ... cry ... 'c', 'r', 'y'. Cry.

Student Practice

Roll and Read with 'y' as a Vowel (opens in new window)

Read Sheets

'y' as a Vowel (Long 'e'): Read Sheet with Words: (opens in new window)Vocabulary and Language Comprehension Focus (opens in new window)
'y' as a Vowel (Long 'i'): Read Sheet with Words (opens in new window)
'y' as a Vowel Review: Student Read Sheet with Words, Phrases, and Sentences (opens in new window)

Decodable Texts

Sky the Shy Cat (opens in new window)
The Party for Bunny (opens in new window)

Lesson Planning Materials

Lesson Plan for 'y' as a Vowel (Long 'i') (opens in new window)
Lesson Plan for 'y' as a Vowel (Long 'e') (opens in new window)
Lesson Plan Checklist: How to Teach a Syllable Type (opens in new window)
Consonant 'y' picture flash card (opens in new window)
'y' as a vowel picture flash card
Dictation Paper (Kindergarten Level) (opens in new window)
Dictation Paper (Grades 1-5) (opens in new window)
Phrase and Dictation Paper (Grades 1-5) (opens in new window)

List of Words, Phrases, and Sentences for Lesson Planning

'y' as a Vowel List of Words, Phrases, and Sentences for Lesson Planning (opens in new window)

Assessments

Assessment: 'y' as a Vowel (Long 'i') in Reading and Spelling (opens in new window)
Assessment: 'y' as a Vowel (Long 'e') in Reading and Spelling (opens in new window)

Planning a Phonics Lesson

Phonics Lesson Checklist (opens in new window)
Lesson Plan Template (opens in new window)

Related Skill Explainers

Multisyllabic Words