Grade 1 · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 9
Short Vowels
a, e, i, o, u
What your child practises
Hearing the short vowel in the middle of words like cat, bed, pig, dog and sun, and filling in the missing vowel to spell the word.
NWT Curriculum learning standard: Letter–sound relationships: short vowels; spelling of simple words
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
Which word has the short u sound, like “umbrella”?
- 🐶dog
- 🐛bug
- 🥛milk
🐛 bug
Hint: Say each word slowly; “bug” has short u: b-u-g.
Question 2
Which word has the short a sound, like “apple”?
- 🚐van
- ☀️sun
- 🥛milk
🚐 van
Hint: Say each word slowly; “van” has short a: v-a-n.
Question 3
Which letter is missing?
🦊f_x- i
- o
- a
o
Hint: Say “fox” slowly. Listen for the sound in the middle!
Question 4
Which letter is missing?
🚌b_s- i
- o
- u
u
Hint: Say “bus” slowly. Listen for the sound in the middle!
Question 5
Which word has the short o sound, like “octopus”?
- 🦇bat
- 🥁drum
- 🧦sock
🧦 sock
Hint: Say each word slowly; “sock” has short o: s-o-ck.
Question 6
Which word has the short e sound, like “elephant”?
- 🔔bell
- 🐶dog
- ☀️sun
🔔 bell
Hint: Say each word slowly; “bell” has short e: b-e-ll.