In a vowel team (also called a vowel digraph), two letters combine to make one vowel sound. They can serve as great visuals for kids who are struggling to learn their vowel teams.Vowels teams are one of the most common phonemes but also one of the most challenging when it comes to reading and spelling, especially for younger students. Simply print on cardstock paper, laminate and hang on the wall or near a center.

The word is also included on the poster, with the pattern highlighted in a different color.

On each poster are common pictures that correspond with each long vowel team. They are included in two sizes: whole page posters, and 1/2 page posters. The vowel teams included in this sampler pack are ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, and oo. The free sample download link can be found at the END of this post. This is a free sample from my more comprehensive Vowel Teams Pack. It includes more long vowel pairs as well as other ones, such as diphthongs. Today, I’m sharing some picture phonics cards for 6 different long vowel digraphs (or teams). Now, I know there are exceptions to those generalizations, but they are FAR less than the exceptions you find with all the rules. And it’s the same with all the other vowel digraphs (ee=long e, oa=long o, etc.). Instead of teaching blanket rules, that are often broken, I teach that when you see ai in a single syllable word, it’s typically going to make the long a sound. Instead of teaching unreliable rules such as, “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking,” I prefer to teach young readers/spellers phonics generalizations. Learning about vowel teams is a fantastic way to help kids understand phonics and spelling patterns. Working on vowel teams with your learners? These FREE long vowel picture cards can help!

What are vowel teams