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Basic R-Controlled Vowels
Learn what r-controlled vowels are, how the letter r changes vowel sounds, and how Hoot helps children read words with these patterns.
What are Basic R-Controlled Vowels?
R-controlled vowels are vowel sounds that change when a vowel is followed by the letter r. Instead of making a short or long vowel sound, the vowel and the r" work together to make one new sound.
At this stage, children learn three common r-controlled vowel sounds:
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/ar/ as in car
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/or/ as in fork
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/er/ as in herd, bird, and hurt
The /er/ sound can be spelled in different ways (er, ir, ur), but it is pronounced the same in all of these words.
When reading r-controlled vowel words, your child's teacher will help them learn to treat the vowel and r together as one sound, rather than trying to separate the sounds. For example, in the word card, the sounds are → /c/ – /ar/ – /d/.
What a Basic R-Controlled Vowels Lesson Might Look Like
In a lesson focused on r-controlled vowels, your child’s teacher will help them recognize how the letter r changes the vowel sound and how to read these patterns smoothly. These lessons build on earlier phonics skills, including short vowels and long vowels, while introducing a new and important spelling pattern.
A basic r-controlled vowel lesson may include:
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Using a Hoot Wise Words book to introduce the r-controlled vowel sound in isolated words and hear how it differs from other vowels.
- Using a whiteboard to show how the r changes a vowel sound and how it’s different from short and long vowels.
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Reading a Hoot Decodable book that focuses on r-controlled vowels, helping children spot vowel + r combinations within words.
- Re-reading the same Hoot Decodable text using the fluency practice page to build smooth and accurate reading.
As children read, teachers help them apply the correct vowel sound and gently prompt them if they revert to a short or long vowel sound. These moments are also opportunities to celebrate how many different word patterns your child can now read.
Why this Skill Matters
R-controlled vowels are an important step toward reading more complex words. Learning this pattern helps children decode words with various vowel sounds that change based on spelling patterns.
By the time students reach this unit, they can apply phonics rules to a wider range of words, including those with short vowels, long vowels, blends, and now r-controlled vowels. An exciting milestone in their reading development!