Advanced R-Controlled Vowels

What are Advanced R-Controlled Vowels?

Advanced r-controlled vowels build on earlier basic r-controlled vowel skills by introducing new spelling patterns and new vowel sounds influenced by the letter r. At this stage, children already understand that vowels change sound when followed by r. This unit expands that understanding by showing that the same sound can be spelled in different ways and that some letter combinations represent new r-controlled vowel sounds.

In this unit, students practice four r-controlled vowel sounds, represented by multiple spelling patterns. These include:

• /or/ spelled ore, as in more

• /er/ spelled wor or ear, as in word and learn

• /ear/ spelled ear or eer, as in hear and cheer

• /air/ spelled air, are, or ear, as in chair, care, and bear

You may notice that the letters ear can make three different sounds. This is taught explicitly so children learn to rely on spelling patterns and context rather than guessing.

What an Advanced R-Controlled Vowels Lesson Might Look Like

In a lesson focused on advanced r-controlled vowels, your child’s teacher will introduce new r-controlled spelling patterns and help them connect those patterns to the correct vowel sound. Lessons are carefully structured to build accuracy while reinforcing confidence.

Students practice sounding out words with advanced r-controlled vowels in a Hoot Wise Words book and then apply those skills while reading a Hoot Decodable passage with teacher support. This combination of word-level and connected-text practice helps children read accurately and efficiently.

Because the spelling ear can represent multiple sounds, students will use dedicated resources in this unit that focus on the three sounds of “ear”. This helps them practice each sound in a clear, structured way.

You may also notice teachers discussing homophones. These are words that sound the same but have different meanings (such as fair and fare). This supports vocabulary development and reading comprehension as children move into more advanced texts.

Why this Skill Matters

Advanced r-controlled vowels help children learn how to handle words that look similar but sound different, and words where the same letters don’t always make the same sound. This is a natural point where English starts to feel less predictable.

Rather than relying on guessing or memorization, students learn to pay close attention to spelling patterns. These skills are essential for reading accurately as texts become more complex. Mastery at this stage helps children stay confident and in control when they encounter unfamiliar words, instead of feeling stuck or frustrated.

Resources Used in Lesson to Teach Advanced R-Controlled Vowels

Hoot Wise Words | /or/ ore

Hoot Decodables | Sore Feet