R-Controlled Vowels Worksheets for 1st Grade: ar, or, er, ir, ur
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Skill: Reading and spelling words with r-controlled vowels
Teaching tips and what to try next
When a vowel is followed by r (car, her, bird, corn), the r changes the vowel sound, and er, ir and ur often sound the same. That makes spelling harder than reading, so focus on reading first and keep a list of words for each spelling. Next, try Vowel Teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa or the first-grade Sight Words Set 2: Trace and Fill In.
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About this worksheet
When the letter r comes right after a vowel, it changes the vowel's sound. The a in car does not sound like the a in cat, and the o in fork does not sound like the o in fox. Teachers often call these "bossy r" words. This first-grade worksheet practices the five r-controlled vowel patterns: ar, or, er, ir, and ur.
There are fifteen clues, three for each pattern, in mixed order. Each clue describes an everyday word, such as "Wind, rain, and thunder all at once," and shows the word with its pattern missing, like st___m. Children read the clue, choose a pattern from the box at the top, and write it in the blank. The patterns er, ir, and ur usually make the same sound, so children must remember how each word is spelled. Every word was checked so that only one pattern spells a real word in the blank.
How to use it: read the five patterns in the box together and say each sound: ar as in car, or as in fork, and er, ir, and ur as in her, bird, and fur. Read the clues aloud if needed. After your child writes a pattern, have them read the whole word aloud. For the er, ir, and ur words, talk about a trick to remember each spelling, such as "the bird says chirp."
The answer key lists the pattern and the complete word for every clue. This worksheet supports Common Core standards RF.1.3 (know and apply grade-level phonics) and RF.1.3.e (decode two-syllable words). Review long vowels with our Vowel Teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa worksheet and our Silent E Words worksheet.