How to Teach R Controlled Vowels

R-controlled vowels are vowel sounds that change when followed by the letter r. The five most common r-controlled vowel spellings are ar, er, ir, or, and ur. To teach r-controlled vowels, start with clear sound-spelling instruction, use word lists and anchor charts, then give students repeated practice through word sorts, decodable passages, games, and small group activities.

Teaching sounds can be fun, especially when it comes to r-controlled vowels! These 3 sounds, spelled 5 different ways (ar, or, er, ir, ur) can be introduced and reviewed using several engaging strategies and resources. Read on for tips, tricks and jokes to make your r-controlled vowel lessons pop!

In this post, you’ll find:

• A simple explanation of what r-controlled vowels are
• Examples of ar, er, ir, or, and ur words
• Tips for teaching bossy r sounds
• R-controlled vowel activities for whole group, small group, and centers
• A low-prep R-Controlled Vowels Pack for extra student practice

If you are mapping out your 2nd grade phonics instruction, you may also want to explore these other phonics activities for skills like long vowels, vowel teams, diphthongs, and multisyllabic words.

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What are R-Controlled Vowels?

R-controlled vowels are vowels that make a different sound when they are followed by the letter r. Instead of making a short or long vowel sound, the vowel is “controlled” by the r. The most common r-controlled vowel spellings are ar, er, ir, or, and ur.

There are three main r-controlled vowel sounds students usually learn:

• ar as in cart, farm, and sharp
• or as in corn, short, and story
• er, ir, and ur as in herd, bird, and nurse

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Why Are R-Controlled Vowels Tricky for Students?

R-controlled vowels can be tricky because students cannot always rely on short and long vowel rules. The letter r changes the vowel sound, and some spellings, like er, ir, and ur, can make the same sound. This is why students need repeated practice hearing, reading, sorting, and writing r-controlled vowel words.

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Bossy r

It can be helpful to create an r controlled vowel anchor chart to help students retain these sounds. A lot of teachers like to call these sounds “bossy r” sounds. The “bossy r” concept is that he is bossy and controls the sound but DOES still let the vowel go first.

Why it works: Anchor charts give students a visual reminder of each r-controlled vowel spelling and help them connect the sound to example words.

Teacher Tip: When introducing r-controlled vowels, teach ar and or first because they each have a more distinct sound. Then teach er, ir, and ur together once students are ready to compare spellings that make the same sound.

What Are the Best R-Controlled Vowel Activities?

Want to add some engaging technology into your lesson? Check out these options!

1) Videos & Songs

Jack Hartmann “Look out for Bossy R”

4 Minute Phonics R Controlled Practice

Pirates say AR!

Why it works: Songs and videos help students hear r-controlled vowel sounds repeatedly, which supports phonemic awareness and sound-spelling connections.

2) Books

There are even books to teach the r controlled sounds!

The Bossy r: How the R Controlled Vowels Came to Be by Lynell Hecht

A Day at the Berns Family Farm: A Book of Phonics by Laura Hudgens

Why it works: Phonics books give students another way to hear and see r-controlled vowel words in context.

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How Can You Use R-Controlled Vowel Activities in the Classroom?

When you are ready for students to practice their r controlled vowels in small group or independently, Lucky Little Learners has you covered! Introducing our R-Controlled Vowels Pack.

• Phonics posters
• Lesson plans
• Word lists & sample sentences
• Decodable passages
• Hands-on activities
• Digital teaching slides
• Word & picture cards…and more!

With so many resources, there are numerous ways to use this pack in your classroom. However, by following the daily lesson plans, these resources can fit seamlessly into your already busy day!

Whole Group Ideas

Use the word cards or words & sentences lists to introduce or review the sound.

Additionally, use the daily digital slides to further develop skills.

Why it works: Whole group instruction gives students a clear introduction to each sound before they practice reading and writing r-controlled vowel words on their own.

Small Group Ideas

Try using the decodable poems and passages to give students practice reading materials they can actually read! The poem includes five days of practice and makes a great beginning of group check in. Phonics ladders are a great way to quickly assess student skills!

Why it works: Small group practice helps teachers listen closely to students’ decoding and provide quick support when students mix up similar r-controlled vowel spellings.

Independent Center Ideas

When your students are ready to practice these sounds on their own, try one of the engaging centers!

Why it works: Centers give students repeated practice sorting, reading, and spelling r-controlled vowel words in a hands-on way.

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Make teaching R-Controlled Vowels easy!

Teaching r-controlled vowels is easier when you have everything organized and ready to go. The R-Controlled Vowels Pack includes phonics posters, lesson plans, word lists, decodable passages, teaching slides, word cards, and hands-on activities for whole group, small group, and independent practice.

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What Other 2nd Grade Phonics Skills Should You Teach?

We’ve got a post to help with all the essential 2nd grade phonics skills:

Hard & Soft C/G

Silent Letters

Short Vowels

Short Vowel Digraphs

Long Vowels

Vowel Teams

Diphthongs

Inflected Endings

Syllable Patterns/Multisyllabic Words

Contractions

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Happy teaching!