What are vowels?
All usual words in the English language contain at least one vowel.
This Earlyminds vowels set was developed to help you teach your child to recognise the sounds the 5 vowels make in preparation for word building, reading, and writing.
Each set has 5 Letter Cards and 5 Picture Cards with step by step instructions. You can download the set for free, print it, and start using it straight away.
Why working with your child is important
Understanding every word in the English language has at least one vowel, is important for spelling, reading, speech, and comprehension. In this exercise you teach your child the long vowels (the names) and the short vowels (the sounds).
These are the foundational skills for recognising the vowels in words and syllables (parts of words).
The ability to comfortably recognise the shape of the vowel letter and the sound it makes supports breaking down unknown words and builds success in reading and spelling.
The English language is complicated. There are multiple ways to spell the same sound. The long vowel sound A can be spelled in 9 different ways – a in paper, a-e in cake, ai in nail, ay in day, eigh in eight, ei in reindeer, ey in they, ea in break, et in ballet. This exercise builds a foundation of understanding the initial vowels in preparation for kindergarten work through to the later grades at school.
Early exposure in a fun and safe environment means your child is developing an understanding of foundational skills to build upon. If your child starts kindergarten with an awareness of the relationship between vowels and words they are more likely to understand what is being taught in the classroom. Being prepared for kindergarten means your child has the advantage of understanding learning.
Research shows that the best predictor for success in school is a readiness for learning by kindergarten age. At Earlyminds we design and make materials to build an understanding of the foundational skills needed to prepare for preschool and through kindergarten, grade one, and grade two.
