Find the Team
Read each sentence. Circle every word with a vowel team (ai ay ee ea oa ow).
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This is sheet #18024601.
How to do it
- Read the sentence.
- Look for ai, ay, ee, ea, oa or ow.
- Circle every word with a vowel team.
Teaching tip
Read the sentence out loud after circling to practice the words in context. This sheet is aligned with Common Core RF.1.3c.
About this worksheet
Eight sentences with one to three vowel team words each.
What kids practice
A vowel team is two letters that work together to make one long vowel sound: ai and ay say /ā/ (rain, play), ee and ea say /ē/ (tree, seal), and oa and ow say /ō/ (boat, snow). First graders start with these six common teams. Vowel teams are a key phonics pattern for reading longer words.
Watch for
- Reading each vowel separately, like ra-in.
- Mixing up which team to use when spelling. That's normal; it takes lots of reading.
- Reading ow as in cow for snow. Both are right in different words, so try both.
It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full long vowels: vowel teams phonics guide for 1st grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Vowel Team ChartThe six first-grade vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow) with pictures and words. 
2. Which Team?Ten picture words with the vowel team missing. A hint shows the two teams to choose from.
3. Circle the SpellingEight pictures with three spellings each. Only one is right.
4. Vowel Team SortTwelve words to sort into ai/ay, ee/ea and oa/ow.
6. Color by Vowel TeamA hidden picture made of vowel team words like rain, play, tree, leaf and boat. Includes an answer key.