Continuing with our study of ambiguous vowels in multi-syllabic words, we next look at the spelling for the /ô/sound. Have students scan the first paragraph of the article for a word that contains this sound. The students will locate the word launched. Elicit from students that the base word is launch. Ask them if they know a different way the /ô/ is spelled. Students may offer aw. Then present students with the following sort to help them understand when /ô/ is spelled au (usually closed syllable) and when aw is the correct choice (usually open syllable).
| launch |
withdraw |
| applaud |
gawky |
|
because
|
macaw |
| faulty |
thawing |
| jaundice |
drawing |
| laundry |
lawsuit |
| exhaust |
Hawthorne |
| cauldron |
|
| |
|
2 Players
Have students write all the words studied in the first four articles on cards so that each student has a large deck. It is helpful for students to make their own decks as this not only saves you time, but it reinforces the correct spelling of the words. Have pairs of students turn over their cards. If the cards both contain the same type of syllable (open or closed) for the ambiguous vowel, students race to slap the cards. The students take the pile and put it aside if they win. If the cards do not contain the same type of syllable, turn over the next card. After the deck is all played, students count the cards. Then partners must correctly spell the words on their partners winning cards!
This game reinforces the importance of recognizing open and closed syllables and serves as a spelling review.
Word Activities Index
| If you wish to print this entire document, download it in PDF format by clicking on the link below. |
|
To get Adobe Acrobat Reader free, click on the icon below |
 Word Games 4 (32K) |
|
|
|
| |
