Short Vowels in the Mouse House

Practicing short vowels with your students - both articulating them clearly, and 'hearing' (identifying) them - will help them so much with their reading AND writing. I can't tell you how much. Well maybe I could but it would take a very long time, and I think you will just have to trust me, and I am sure you already know. 

I want to share with you today a little activity that I like to do with my students to help with listening for and identifying short vowel sounds in words. 

But there are no cute pictures to cut.

No glue or scissors. 

Just listening with ears. 

Fancy that! 

Well, if you are like me, and love a good visual, you can print the little reminder sheet/poster/any-excuse-to-make-a-printable, printable from Google Drive HERE

For this activity, tell your students they will be listening for the short vowel sound in each word that you say. 

If you are like me, and are really thinking about a hot cup of tea and a toilet break often mentally challenged when trying to randomly select a good variety of random and appropriate words for language activities - you may like this little file from my TpT store. It says Kindergarten, but it is also good for first and second grade. It contains good lists of words so you always have them at your ready!

So - read - or think of some words with a variety of short vowel sounds. Your students listen to the word, and show that they can identify the short vowel sound within the word by doing a hand signal to match.

If the word has an 'a' sound - for example, you may have called out the words 'cat'

 Your students each make a house with one hand, and put the other hand (the mouse) AT the side of the house.

For words with the 'e' sound - students put their mouse on the EDGE of the house.

For words with an 'i' sound, students put their mouse IN the mouse house door!

For words with a short 'o' sound, your students will put their mouse ON the house.

And under the house for words with a short u sound. 

Start this game by using simple short cvc words, and make it more challenging by adding longer harder words that contain blends, digraphs and tricky sounds!

If your students need MORE practice with short vowel sounds, you may like to use the pages within Bump Jump and Build, a file I made with Deanna Jump. These game worksheets really get students interacting and THINKING about sounds and words, rather than just lower level cutting and sorting pictures. Your students will LOVE them. Click on the images below to find Bump Jump and Build in Deanna's TpT store.

Thank you so much for stopping by today - have fun with short vowels!