📖

Three Spellings, One Sound

R-Controlled Vowels: ER, IR, UR

Day 81of 180
Week 17of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand that er, ir, and ur can make the same /er/ sound

2

Identify and decode words with er spelling

3

Recognize how God gives us different ways to express the same thing

📖 Scripture Connection

Proverbs 4:7

“Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.”

— Proverbs 4:7 (WEB)

Learning different ways to spell sounds is like gaining understanding

📦 Materials Needed

  • r-controlled vowel cards
  • white board
  • markers
  • word building tiles
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students and explain we're learning about special vowel sounds that sound the same but look different

💭 Review Question: Can you think of two ways to say 'hello' in different languages?
2Teaching (10 min)

Introduce er spelling pattern, showing how different letters can make the same sound

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • ER makes an /er/ sound like in 'her'
  • These special sounds are like God's creativity in language
  • We can spell the same sound different ways
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What other sounds do you know that can be spelled differently?
  • How is learning sounds like learning about God's world?
3Activity: Sound Treasure Hunt (7 min)
hands-on

Students find and circle er words around the room or in provided text

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each student a sheet with words
  2. Have them circle words with er
  3. Share discoveries together
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Provide pre-circled er words

Challenge: Have students create their own er word list

4Closing (3 min)

Recap our learning about er sound

📝 Review Questions:
  • What sound does er make?
  • Can you tell me an er word?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for making language so wonderful and helping us learn

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn more about different ways to make the /er/ sound

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 4:7

“Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.”

— Proverbs 4:7 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Hand motions: Point to head for 'wisdom', make learning gesture for 'understanding'

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

R-controlled vowels can be challenging for young readers

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Practice reading er words at home
  • Make it fun like a game
  • Praise effort over perfection
🤔 Common Struggles:

Distinguishing between similar sounds

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Confidence in identifying er words

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Create a poster of er words
  • Play 'er' sound bingo
  • Read books with many er words

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 82 →Back to Phonics & Reading