R-controlled vowels phonics worksheets
Aligned with Common Core RF.2.3b
Printable second-grade r-controlled vowel phonics worksheets (bossy r): ar, or, er, ir and ur with picture words, an er/ir/ur spelling page, a sort and sentences.
The worksheets
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Bossy R Chart
ar, or, er, ir and ur with pictures and words, plus a spelling tip.
Fill In the Bossy R
Picture words with ar, or, er, ir or ur missing. A hint shows which ones to choose from.
er, ir or ur?
Pictures with three spellings that all sound the same. Only one is right.
Bossy R Sort
Words to sort into ar, or and er/ir/ur.
Bossy R Sentences
Sentences with a missing word. Pick between two bossy r words that look alike, like farm and form.
Color by Bossy R
A hidden picture made of r-controlled words like car, fork, fern, bird and turn. Includes an answer key.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
When the letter r comes right after a vowel, it changes the vowel's sound. Kids often call it "bossy r." ar says /ar/ as in car, or says /or/ as in fork, and er, ir and ur all say /er/ as in her, bird and turtle. R-controlled vowels are a key second grade phonics pattern.
What comes next
Two-syllable words, where these sounds show up in longer words like garden and turtle.
How to teach it
- Teach ar and or first. They each have their own sound.
- Then teach er, ir and ur together, because they sound exactly the same.
- For spelling er, ir and ur, practice a few words at a time until they stick.
- Point out that lots of words end in er, like tiger, sister and water.
Common mistakes
- Reading the vowel short, like ca-r for car.
- Spelling bird as berd or burd. All three sound right, so it takes practice to remember.
- Mixing up or and ar when reading fast, like farm and form.