Definitions:
VV stands for Vowel, Vowel, which is the Vowel Team syllable. Here we are learning the regular Vowel Teams, in step 9 we will learn the irregular vowel teams.
Long Vowel Chunks are specific combinations of a vowel(s) and consonants where the vowel consistently says its name even though it is most often a closed syllable. See detour in yellow box below.
Jump to:
Teaching/Learning to Read 
teachingvideos
Teaching Videos
TEACH ALONG THE WAY ●●●
Teach and add the relevant sounds/flashcards (ie, ai, ay, oa, ow, oe, ea, ee, ey, ui, ue) from the Big Sounds Pack to daily practice.
Some VV Explanations:
y and w are not vowels since they can not say their own names but they do work with vowels in regular vowel teams ay, ow and ey.
When we see two vowels next to each other often they are “holding hands” making one sound.
—-In regular vowel teams (ie, ai, ay, ue, ui, oa, ow, oe, ea, ee, ey) the sound is almost always the first vowel’s name. Except:
– –ie usually says long /ē/. The i begged “I want to go first, I want to go first” and the silly e agreed to let the i go first, as long as the e still got to say it’s name. ie only says long /ī/ in a few short words like pie and die. This is why “ie” is in the top row saying /ī/, and also in the bottom row saying /ē/.
– – ea is our messed up vowel team and can say long /ē/ (meat), long /ā/ (steak), or short /ĕ/ (bread). Usually it says long /ē/ as in meat.
– – ow says long /ō/, but in Step 9 we learn is also says /ow/ as in down.
—-In irregular vowel teams (step 9 – oo, oi, oy, au, augh, aw, ui, ue, ew, ou, ow) vowels come together to make completely new sounds.
Occasionally a word is split between 2 vowels and they are in different syllables like the word diet (di/et, open syllable /di/, closed syllable /et/) and fluid (flu/id).
-ey says the long /ā/ sound in 10 reasonably common words: they, convey, obey, hey, survey, prey, purvey, whey, osprey and the English spelling of the color grey (in the USA it is spelled gray).
NOTE: ui and ue both say the u’s nickname /oo/ (as in blue), but are not included in many of the stories and visuals since they are taught in Step 9.
Detour!
Find Long Vowel Chunks on the “Teach Along the Way” ➜ “Chunks: More Than Letter Sounds page.” Here you will find materials to learn and practice the long vowel cheater chunks. Add new flashcards from the Big Sounds Pack to your daily practice.
Practice Reading 
KEY:K-1 Beginning
1-2 Growing
Intervention/Challenge
* A favorite!
Bundle: Additional various activities to practice a specific skill
Pack: Additional multiple versions of a specific activity to practice a specific skill
bundlesandpacks
Regular Vowel Team Bundles!
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ai, ay Words words, phrases, pyramids, games, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle oa Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ow Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ea Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ee Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ie Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle ey Words words, phrases, pyramids, game, stories
Regular Vowel Team VV Bundle Mixed VV Words words, phrases, game, stories, syllable practice
Beginning Reader Bundles Pack!
Regular Vowel Team VV Pack Full Page Story and List ALL
Individual Materials including materials for more advanced learners:
Bonus Activities
Regular Vowel Team VV Student Practice Poster to Fill In (click here for reference poster)
Regular Vowel Team VV Double Vowel Pyramid Flip Up
Lists
Word and Phrase Lists
Highlighting Word Lists directions
Regular Vowel Team VV regular words by type with visual (without ue, ie)
Regular Vowel Team VV regular words by type with visual (with ue, ie)
Regular Vowel Team VV regular word list by type
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay word list Aid, Day
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay words and phrases Wait for the Rain
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay phrases Afraid of the Chick
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay phrases Box (with timing option)
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay phrases Quail
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay words advanced vocabulary Strain with definitions
Regular Vowel Team VV oa oe word and phrase lists Toad (with timing option)
Regular Vowel Team VV oa, oe word and phrase lists expanded Loaf of Bread
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ sound words Time to Mow
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ sound words and phrases Arrow
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ sound phrases Row the Boat
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ word list Tea
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ word and phrase list Leaf (with timing option)
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ phrase list On the Beach
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ā/ word list Break
Regular Vowel Team VV ea short /ĕ/ sound word and phrase list Spread the Bread
Regular Vowel Team VV ee word list See, Tweed, Beep
Regular Vowel Team VV ee words and phrases See, Sheet
Regular Vowel Team VV ee word and phrase list See the Wee Bee
Regular Vowel Team VV ee phrase list Take the Wheel
Regular Vowel Team VV ie long /ī/ and /ē/ sounds word list The Thief Stole My Cookie and Pie
Regular Vowel Team VV ie long /ī/ and /ē/ sounds word and phrase list Zombies Like Movies and Cookies
Regular Vowel Team VV ey long /ē/ and long /ā/ word and phrase list Turkey (with timing option)
Regular Vowel Team VV mixed word list Pay
Flashcards
Flashcards
Regular Vowel Team VV regular Flashcards
Regular Vowel Team VV regular Flip Chute Cards (Directions for Flip Chute cards on this page.)
Fluency Pyramids
Fluency Pyramids
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay 4 mini fluency pyramids ai ay
Regular Vowel Team VV oa 4 mini fluency pyramids oa
Regular Vowel Team VV oa fluency pyramid goat, float, soak, moat, soap
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ fluency pyramid know, grow, yellow, rows, window
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ fluency pyramid each, heap, meat, wheat, cream, peanut, weak, tea
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ fluency pyramid eagle, squeal, scream, steal
Regular Vowel Team VV ee 4 mini fluency pyramids ee
Regular Vowel Team VV ee fluency pyramid see, feet, green, fourteen, bean
Regular Vowel Team VV ie long /ē/ 4 mini fluency pyramids ie
Games
Games
Game Directions
Regular Vowel Team VV ai words game Snail Trail
Regular Vowel Team VV ay words game Snail Trail 2
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay Bingo, VV ai ay Bingo Flashcards
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay phrase game Wait for the Train
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay sentence game A Fun Day to Play
Regular Vowel Team VV oa word game Joe on the Boat
Regular Vowel Team VV oa word game Frog or Toad
Regular Vowel Team VV oa word game Float in a Moat
Regular Vowel Team VV oa card game I Have, Who Has?
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ word game Snow Will Blow
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ word game Yellow Fellow
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ card game I Have, Who Has?
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ word game Which Is Your Favorite Leaf?
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ word game The Eagle Flies
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ word game Eager Beaver
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ words in word families and phrases game Peaches
Regular Vowel Team VV ea short /ĕ/ word game Mummies are Dead
Regular Vowel Team VV ee word game Sweet Honey
Regular Vowel Team VV ee words game Chicks That Cheep and a Few Sheep
Regular Vowel Team VV ee phrases game Run with Glee
Regular Vowel Team VV ie long /ī/ and /ē/ word game Call For Help!
Regular Vowel Team VV ey long /ē/ word & phrase game Honey Can You Find my Key
Spelling
Spelling
Practice with words from the lists, games etc., or use the lists below.
* Having learners spell with word chains where the coach says “change one sound in (chop) to spell (chip), now change one sound in (chip) to spell (sip)” is a powerful way to draw student’s attention to individual sounds in the words!
Regular Vowel Team *Spelling Vowel Teams Pyramid Teacher tells student that “ie” says /i/ in the following words, then reads the “ie” words. Always have students read spelling words back when finished.
Regular Vowel Team VV oa Word Chain spelling from Boat to Toad
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ Word Chain spelling from Low to Snow
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ Word Chain spelling from Team to Peach
Regular Vowel Team VV ee Word Chain spelling from Bee to Sheep
Syllable Sorts
Syllable Sorts
See syllable sort directions and headings and a strategy page in Teacher Resources below.
CVC CV VCE VV reg Syllable Sort Challenge1
CVC CV VCE VV reg Syllable Sort Challenge 2
CVC CV VCE VV Syllable Practice Sheets
Small Books
Small Books
Small Book assembly directions, 4 Pager folding directions, OR use horizontal format for reading on screen in distance learning.
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book Nimo and Sagal foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book Nimo and Sagal horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book No Rain and Hail for Today foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book No Rain and Hail for Today horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book Ray and Gail’s Play foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ai ay small book Ray and Gail’s Play horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV oe oa small book Joe’s Boat foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ small book Can You Make Bow And Arrow Plants? foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ small book Can You make Bow and Arrow Plants? horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ sound 4 page What Grows Under the Snow? foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ sound 4 page What Grows Under the Snow? horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ small book with flashcards How Little Flea Got Big foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee small book with flashcards I See a Bee foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee small book The EE Sheep foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee small book The EE Sheep horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee small book Green Weeds and Seeds foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee small book Green Weeds and Seeds horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee 4 page EEL foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ee 4 page EEL horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV ey long /ē/ small book Joey and Mickey foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV ey long /ē/ small book Joey and Mickey horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV regular mixed small book Green Peas foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV regular mixed small book Green Peas horizontal format
Regular Vowel Team VV regular mixed small book This Week foldable format
Regular Vowel Team VV regular mixed small book This Week horizontal format
Full Page Stories with Lists
Full Page Stories with Lists
Highlighting Word Lists directions
Regular Vowel Team VV Full Page Story and List ALL Pack (also above)
Regular Vowel Team VV ay list and story May’s Play Date
Regular Vowel Team VV oa list and story My Goal
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ list and story Pillow Fight
Regular Vowel Team VV ow long /ō/ list and story Bubble Gum
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ list and story How to Go Sea Fishing
Regular Vowel Team VV ea long /ē/ list and story I Like Peaches
Regular Vowel Team VV ee list and story The Queen’s Sweet Sheep
Regular Vowel Team VV ie long /ē/ list and story Zombie
Teacher Resources
Teacher Resources 
Visuals
- Vowel Team Regular Poster
- Vowel Team Pyramid Poster from story
- Vowel Team Cover Sheet includes ui, ue
Teaching Stories
- AE and the pyramid teaching story
- AE and the pyramid teaching story FLIP UP ACTIVITY (Use this to retell the story and practice the sounds.)
- Alternate story: (no video) After watching the e help his vowel friends say their own names, the vowels want to help too. The vowels figure out that they can be much braver when a friend runs up and holds their hand and encourages them! So when it is possible, a vowel runs up to a vowel friend before a consonant gets there to trap him into a closed syllable. If the vowel gets there fast enough he will hold his vowel friend’s hand and whisper: “you can do it – you can say your name!” The first vowel becomes brave enough to say his own name. This story is fun and easy to act out as suggested in open, closed and magic e syllables.
PowerPoints
- PowerPoint: Vowel Teams from Teaching Video
- PowerPoint: Vowel Teams to support alternate story and reading in chunks practice.
- PowerPoint: All Syllable Types with Practice (Directions in notes section on each slide) Use only slides that are relevant to where you are in the steps.
Directions
More on the Directions Page
- Highlighting Lists
- Working with Flashcards
- Flashing Words with flashcards
- Games with Picture Cards
- Games with Words/Phrases on Game Board
- Game I Have, Who Has
- Game Bang!
- Game Bingo
- Spelling help found on the Spelling Page in the Teach Along The Way section
- Small Book Assembly
- Small Book 4 pager Assembly
- Syllable Sort Directions
Map Sounds to Letters
First map the sounds in the word to the letter(s) representing the sounds, even if it is not a letter combination that has been taught yet. Only an unusual sound/letter combination needs to be remembered “by heart.” Mapping the sounds to the letters is how we remember what words look like. See example below:

Be sure to reinforce what you know and are learning about words:
Schwa Sound: Any vowel might say /u/. Point out this happens in many common words like: the, of, was, some, from…