Free Printable Vowels Charts for kindergarten & preschool with pictures [PDF]

“Can there be a simpler way of teaching short and long vowel sounds?” If you ask this question, you might be a distressed parent dealing with a child giving you a tough time learning vowels’ sounds.

Everything looks easy when the child copies elders at home and speaks words. The problems are identified when those little angels are exposed to ‘read-to-learn speaking’ lessons. Further, the signs used to differentiate long and short vowel sounds add more to agony.

Anyway, worry no more! We bring you here exceptionally simple short and long vowel sound charts. The idea behind these charts is to make learning happen with ease and fun. These charts are specifically catered towards kids in kindergarten, first grade and, preschool. Free printable pdf version is also available for download.

Kids find spelling out words stressful due to inadequate knowledge of vowels sound. Take the confusion and stress out from the word-formation process by referring to the long vowel and short vowel sound charts below:

Understanding Vowels

They may seem like just a bunch of letters, but they play a vital role in language and communication. So, let’s unravel the mystery of vowels together.

A. So, what exactly are vowels? Well, vowels are those special letters in the alphabet that make our speech melodic and musical. Unlike consonants, which are formed by blocking or restricting airflow, vowels are produced with an open vocal tract. When we pronounce vowels, our vocal cords vibrate freely, creating distinct sounds.

B. Now, you might be wondering, why are vowels so important? Great question! Vowel recognition and pronunciation skills are the building blocks of language development. They help us form words, express ourselves clearly, and communicate effectively. When children learn to identify and pronounce vowels correctly, it lays a solid foundation for their reading, writing, and speaking abilities.

C. Let’s have some fun with examples of common vowel sounds! You’ve probably heard words like “cat,” “bed,” and “pig.” These words contain short vowel sounds. Short vowels are quick and snappy sounds, like the “a” in “cat” or the “i” in “pig.” On the other hand, we have long vowel sounds that are held for a bit longer. Take the word “cake,” for instance. The “a” in “cake” has a longer and more stretched-out sound compared to the short “a” in “cat.” Other examples of long vowel sounds include the “o” in “boat” and the “e” in “feet.”

Understanding vowels is like unlocking a secret code to language. It’s fascinating how these little letters can make such a big impact on our ability to communicate.

How to use our short and long sound vowel chart?

Ditch the signs and focus more on practice sounding out the vowel. Short vowels are represented by a crescent sign written above; long vowels have a dash sign at the top. It may sound quite technical to budding language learners. Our charts have surpassed this learning hurdle by replacing signs with confusion-free, simple words that are – long and short. Thus, just one look at these words in the chart, and you can know how to pronounce or spell the words. 

Listed here are some interesting ways how you can use our charts to learn spellings and to sound out the vowels:

1. Learning to read material: Employ our charts to make short vowel and long vowel word families.
2. Picture identification support: Give small kids a picture identification learning support in the form of these charts.
3. Phonemic isolation: Walk the kids through the phonemic isolation process by asking them questions about a short vowel or a long vowel sound, possible to form from these charts.
4. Sight words training: Most of the words used in our charts are also available in Dolche’s Sight words list. By guiding students regularly and working up their brains to spell and identify these short and long vowel sound words, you can enrich the kids’ sight words’ knowledge.
5. Spell out aloud activity material: In the mid-development stage, when the kids have mastered spellings, you can revisit the phase by asking them to isolate phonemes, form words with phoneme blending, and sound out spellings. It can work as holistic support for a word-formation learning exercise.

Top benefits of using our short and long sound vowel chart

Our short and long sound vowel charts are designed to deliver the early language learners the following benefits:

1. Expertise in vowel sounds: Know when and where to apply short or long vowel sound concept
2. Spelling intelligence: By getting sound basics right, kids can spell words with confidence and move convincingly to bigger words’ formation too.
3. Phonemic awareness: Put kids on reboot mode and give them a quick revision of phonemic awareness concepts like blending and isolating phonemes, etc.
4. Picture-word association: Apart from giving them a mental nudge on the start, middle, and end sound of the word, let them absorb the picture-word association idea and enrich their vocabulary.
5. Acquiring basics of word families: The journey through sounding out vowels quickly to the CVC concept of spelling formation can become easier with these charts. Kids can have basics about word families clarified by doing regular practice.

How teachers can benefit from these charts?

Teachers need resources that can easily disseminate the idea of sounding out words and learning to spell. Teaching short and long vowel sounds is an important milestone, and our charts help them with:

1. Picture cues: Charts provide a visually appealing, pictorial presentation of words. These can help develop picture cues to work up the kids’ brains to guess the correct vowel sounds.
2. Regular practice resource: Easy to store, carry or hang on walls, our printables can help kids revisit the concept time and again and boost their learning.
3. Creative writing topics: Teachers can create easy creative writing topics using these charts. A lot of ideas emerge with a simple glance at the pictures provided in the chart.

Tips for Maximizing Learning with Vowel Charts

Alright, we’ve got our handy vowel charts with pictures, but how can we make the most of them? Here are some fantastic tips to supercharge your vowel learning journey:

1. Let’s make vowels a part of our daily routines! Display the charts in a prominent place, like on the refrigerator or near your child’s study area. Encourage your little one to spend a few minutes each day looking at the charts and practicing vowel sounds. By incorporating them into their daily routine, they’ll get more exposure and familiarity with vowels.

2. Time to turn learning into a game! Get creative and play interactive games and activities using vowel charts. For example, you can call out a vowel sound, and your child has to find the corresponding picture on the chart. Or, you can have a vowel treasure hunt where they search for objects that start with a specific vowel sound. Games make learning fun and engaging, boosting your child’s enthusiasm and retention.

3. Participation is the key! Encourage your child to actively participate during vowel learning sessions. Ask them questions about the pictures on the charts, prompt them to say the vowel sounds out loud, and praise their efforts. By involving them in the learning process, you’ll foster a sense of ownership and motivation, making vowel education more enjoyable and effective.

Supplementary Resources

You know what they say, the more resources, the merrier! Here are some additional online resources to complement your vowel-teaching adventures:

1. Explore online resources specifically designed for teaching vowels to young children. There are interactive games, videos, and songs that can enhance their understanding of vowel sounds. Just a quick search on the internet will open up a world of vowel-learning possibilities!

2. Don’t limit yourself to just charts. Look for other printable materials that support vowel learning, such as worksheets, flashcards, or coloring pages. These additional resources provide variety and reinforcement, making the learning experience more dynamic and engaging.

3. Lastly, don’t forget the power of parental involvement and support. Your active participation in your child’s learning journey can make a world of difference. Read together, practice vowel sounds during everyday conversations, and celebrate their progress. Your encouragement and presence create a nurturing environment for their vowel education.

Wrapping up,

Only practice and perseverance help kids overcome language-focused troubles. With intervention materials like vowel sound charts, you can sail through this learning phase joyfully. Learn to build words confidently with our vowels sound charts and be the next spelling bee champion coming season.