3rd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 5 of 13
Spelling Patterns
Vowel teams and word endings
What your child practices
Spelling long vowel sounds with vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh, ie) and adding -ed and -ing by doubling a letter, dropping a silent e or just adding the ending.
Alaska content standards learning standard: RF.3.3; L.3.2 · spelling vowel teams and word endings
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Two vowels together often make one long sound: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh.
- If a word ends in silent e, drop the e before -ing or -ed: bake → baking.
- Short vowel plus one consonant? Double it: hop → hopping.
Example: Add “-ing” to “run”. Which spelling is correct? “Run” has a short u and ends in one consonant. Double the n, then add -ing. Answer: running
Spelling Patterns in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 5 of 13 in 3rd grade English Language Arts, after Punctuation Power and before Prefixes & Suffixes.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 3rd grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 3rd grade English Language Arts sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Add “-ed” to “paint”. Which spelling is correct?
paint + ed
- painted
- paintted
- painteed
painted
Hint: “paint” has no silent e to drop, and it doesn't end in one short vowel plus one consonant. So just add -ed: painted.
Question 2
Which word has the same vowel team as “bowl”?
- show
- rain
- goat
show
Hint: A vowel team is two or more letters that spell one vowel sound. “bowl” uses ow. Look for the word spelled with ow: show.
Question 3
Which word has the same vowel team as “coat”?
- soap
- stay
- slow
soap
Hint: A vowel team is two or more letters that spell one vowel sound. “coat” uses oa. Look for the word spelled with oa: soap.
Question 4
Add “-ing” to “swim”. Which spelling is correct?
swim + ing
- swimming
- swiming
- swimeing
swimming
Hint: “swim” has one short vowel and ends with one consonant. Double the last letter, then add -ing: swimming.
Question 5
Which letters finish the word for the picture?
🐌sn__l- ai
- ay
- ee
ai
Hint: Say “snail” slowly and listen for the long vowel sound. In this word it is spelled ai: snail.
Question 6
Add “-ing” to “make”. Which spelling is correct?
make + ing
- makking
- making
- makeing
making
Hint: “make” ends with a silent e. Drop the e, then add -ing: making.