Vowel Activities for English Groups

Are you looking for a way to have your students practice identifying long and short vowel sounds in words? This fun apple-themed sorting activity is the perfect English rotations activity.  In this activity, students need to find the different images that have a particular vowel sound and then identify if it is a long vowel sound or a short vowel sound.

This activity can be organised to suit a number of different levels which means it’s an easy task to differentiate for each small group in your class.

Vowel Activity Preparation

• Cut out each apple basket and set of apples. The apples have been colour coded for ease of use. Red apples all contain short vowel sounds, while green apples contain long vowel sounds. 
• Based on your student’s needs, place the corresponding set of apple cards and apple baskets into a literacy centre, or bring them into a small group setting for individual practise.

For student accountability, we have also included a recording sheet for them to complete during their time with this activity. The recording sheet prompt encourages students to spell/write the words as they sort and graph their data by colouring in a bar graph. 

Knowing vowel letters and their corresponding short and long sounds is critical when learning to spell or read. By doing this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding that vowels have differing short and long vowel sounds. The resource also promotes an awareness of common spelling patterns.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your phonics lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use any of our other vowel games to enhance learning through guided reading groups or whole class lessons.

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

• Complete activities in small group or one-to-one learning environments.
• Reduce the number of cards or blends required to complete the sorting activity.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

• Students choose two words from the vowel baskets to use in a sentence.
• Students write a list of their own words that match the vowel groups. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

Print on card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

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This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a Teach Starter collaborator.