ELA G1:S4:C24:L121

Decoding: Vowel Patterns "ie" and "igh"

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Daily Learning Targets

Opening A: I can identify different spelling patterns that represent the /ō/, /ē/, and /ā/ vowel sounds. (RF.1.2)

I can listen to a single-syllable word and identify the long vowel sound it contains.

Work Time: I can read and spell words with the vowel patterns “ie” and “igh.” (RF.1.2, L.1.2)

I can decode regularly spelled one-syllable words by mapping graphemes and phonemes.
I can decode words with other vowel patterns like “igh” and r-controlled vowels.

Ongoing Assessment

Observe students during Work Time. Determine whether they can identify long vowel words using the patterns learned in this cycle.

Agenda

Agenda
1. Opening (3–5 minutes) A. Vowel Sounds: Familiar Vowel Team Patterns for /ā/, /ō/, and /ē/ 2. Work Time (10 minutes) A. Chaining: Decoding with Vowel Patterns “ie” and “igh” B. Chaining: Encoding with Vowel Teams “ie” and “igh” 3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes) A. Reflecting on Learning 4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)

1. Opening (3–5 minutes)

A. Vowel Sounds: Familiar Vowel Team Patterns for /ā/, /ō/, and /ē/

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Chaining: Decoding with Vowel Patterns “ie” and “igh”

B. Chaining: Encoding with Vowel Teams “ie” and “igh”

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)

In Advance

Prepare:

Letter Formation chart with visuals (for teacher reference)
Anchor chart for vowel patterns "ie" and "igh" (see supporting materials)
Snapshot Assessment (optional)

Gather materials for differentiated small group instruction (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

decode, proficient, vowel pattern (L)

Materials

Whiteboards or sheet protectors with white cardboard inside (one per student or pair)
Whiteboard markers (one per student)
Whiteboard erasers (or tissues, socks, etc.; one per student)
Movable letters (from Lesson 96)
Letter Formation chart (for teacher reference; from Lesson 96)
Vowel Team anchor chart (see supporting materials)
Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Vowel Sounds: Familiar Vowel Team Patterns for /ā/, /ō/, and /ē/ (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”): “Sit down and come together, together, together. Sit down and come together, together, right now. Open up your ears now, and listen for the vowel sounds. It’s time to hear the vowel sounds we’re making right now.” Begin the Vowel Sounds instructional practice: 1. Teacher says: “Today, let’s start by listening to some words that have the same vowel sound. We’ll identify that sound and then examine all the ways we’ve learned this year to spell that sound. Knowing the different ways that a sound can be spelled will help us become better readers and spellers.” 2. Teacher says the following words aloud, pausing between each word: “may,” “play,” “train.” 3. Teacher asks: “What sound do we hear in all of these words?” (/ā/) 4. Teacher says: “Right! We hear the long vowel sound of ‘a’ in those words. Now let’s look at how that /ā/ sound is spelled.” 5. Teacher writes the words in a list on the board and asks: “How is the /ā/ sound spelled in ‘may’ and ‘play’?” (with the vowel team “ay”) “How is the /ā/ sound spelled in ‘train’?” (with the vowel team “ai”) 6. Teacher says: “Yes, we learned that ‘ay’ and ‘ai’ are vowel team patterns that we see in some words for the /ā/ sound. Let’s see if we remember other patterns for long vowel sounds with some different words.” 7. Teacher repeats steps 2–5 with /ō/ words: “low,” “blow,” “toad.” 8. Teacher repeats steps 2–5 with /ē/ words: “free,” “seed,” “happy.” 9. Teacher says: “So these are some vowel team patterns we have learned for spelling the long vowel sounds we hear in words. I wonder if there are more vowel patterns in words to spell those long vowel sounds. Let’s look at some new words today and find out!”	Consider using anchor charts from previous cycles to review the ways students have learned to spell each long vowel sound. Consider asking students to identify the vowel team captain after each pattern is identified in the set of words. Consider asking students to identify the placement of the vowel teams. The vowel teams “ay” and “ow” are typically at the end of a one-syllable word; “ai” and “oa” are typically in the middle; and “ee” is typically in the middle or at the end. The “y” as /ē/ is at the end of a two-syllable word. Draw students’ attention to the number of syllables in each of the words. This word analysis supports students in getting these patterns in memory. They can draw on this information later as they learn to determine which patterns to use when spelling words with long vowel sounds.

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Vowel Sounds: Familiar Vowel Team Patterns for /ā/, /ō/, and /ē/

(Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”):

“Sit down and come together, together, together. Sit down and come together, together, right now. Open up your ears now, and listen for the vowel sounds. It’s time to hear the vowel sounds we’re making right now.”

Begin the Vowel Sounds instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: “Today, let’s start by listening to some words that have the same vowel sound. We’ll identify that sound and then examine all the ways we’ve learned this year to spell that sound. Knowing the different ways that a sound can be spelled will help us become better readers and spellers.”

2. Teacher says the following words aloud, pausing between each word: “may,” “play,” “train.”

3. Teacher asks:

“What sound do we hear in all of these words?” (/ā/)

4. Teacher says: “Right! We hear the long vowel sound of ‘a’ in those words. Now let’s look at how that /ā/ sound is spelled.”

5. Teacher writes the words in a list on the board and asks:

“How is the /ā/ sound spelled in ‘may’ and ‘play’?” (with the vowel team “ay”)

“How is the /ā/ sound spelled in ‘train’?” (with the vowel team “ai”)

6. Teacher says: “Yes, we learned that ‘ay’ and ‘ai’ are vowel team patterns that we see in some words for the /ā/ sound. Let’s see if we remember other patterns for long vowel sounds with some different words.”

7. Teacher repeats steps 2–5 with /ō/ words: “low,” “blow,” “toad.”

8. Teacher repeats steps 2–5 with /ē/ words: “free,” “seed,” “happy.”

9. Teacher says: “So these are some vowel team patterns we have learned for spelling the long vowel sounds we hear in words. I wonder if there are more vowel patterns in words to spell those long vowel sounds. Let’s look at some new words today and find out!”

Consider using anchor charts from previous cycles to review the ways students have learned to spell each long vowel sound.
Consider asking students to identify the vowel team captain after each pattern is identified in the set of words.
Consider asking students to identify the placement of the vowel teams. The vowel teams “ay” and “ow” are typically at the end of a one-syllable word; “ai” and “oa” are typically in the middle; and “ee” is typically in the middle or at the end. The “y” as /ē/ is at the end of a two-syllable word. Draw students’ attention to the number of syllables in each of the words. This word analysis supports students in getting these patterns in memory. They can draw on this information later as they learn to determine which patterns to use when spelling words with long vowel sounds.

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Chaining: Decoding with Vowel Patterns “ie” and “igh” (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”): “Now it’s time to decode words using the letter sound connections; now it’s time to decode words; be careful, watch for a change.” Distribute whiteboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers. Begin the Chaining instructional practice: 1. Teacher shows the word with movable letters: “tie.” 2. Teacher says: “Let’s examine this word carefully.” 3. Teacher asks: “What do we notice about this word that might help us decode it?” (two vowels together) 4. Teacher says: “Right! These vowels together are a ‘vowel team’ because they stick right next to each other and work together like a team. This must be another way to spell the long vowel sound of ‘i.’ Let’s see if we can read this word by using the long vowel sound for ‘i.’” 5. Teacher points to each letter from left to right, making the /ī/ sound while sliding under the “ie” as one sound and blending to pronounce the word “tie.” 6. Students write the word on their whiteboards: “tie.” Teacher emphasizes proper letter formation (see Letter Formation chart for suggested formation of each letter). 7. Students point to each letter from left to right, making each sound and blending to pronounce the word “tie.” 8. Teacher removes the “t” and replaces it with an “l.” 9. Teacher asks: “How has the word changed?” (The first letter is an “l” instead of a “t.”) “And what is this new word?” (“lie”) 10. Students erase the “t” and write an “l” in its place to form the new word: “lie.” 11. Students point to each letter from left to right, making each sound and blending to pronounce the word “lie.” 12. Repeat steps 8–11 with “pie.” 13. Teacher says: “Now that we have learned about a new vowel team to spell the /ī/ sound in words, I wonder if there is still another vowel pattern for the /ī/ sound. Let’s look at another new word I found that has a different spelling for /ī/.” 14. Teacher shows the word with movable letters: “light.” 15. Teacher says: “In this word, I see the vowel ‘i,’ but it is followed by ‘gh.’ This is a very interesting and special vowel pattern. This team has three letters used to make the /ī/ sound!” 16. Teacher asks: “Who the team captain is in this pattern?” (“i”) 17. Teacher says: “Right! This vowel pattern is special because the ‘i’ is captain of three letters, and we hear the /ī/ sound when they are together.” 18. Follow steps 8–11 with words “light,” “high,” and “might.” 19. After the teacher adds the last word to the list and students decode it, he or she guides students to read the entire list of words (as a group and/or individual volunteers). 20. Teacher says: “We have learned two new ways to spell the /ī/ sound that we hear in words.” 21. Teacher asks: “What did we learn about the vowel sound in each of these patterns? (The sound they make is the /ī/ sound.) 22. Teacher says: “Right! The first vowel in the team is the team captain, so it is the leader of the team. The first vowel’s long sound is the one we hear in each word.” 23. Record the words on the Vowel Team anchor chart.	Guide students in discovering the relationship between the vowels in the vowel team, reinforcing the language of "vowel pattern" and "vowel sounds." Consider making a small "captain" hat (or letter/armband) to place above the first vowel, which will reinforce the first vowel as captain in the vowel team. This can be used as a helpful visual for students to remember which vowel sound they hear in the word. This will support students later in the module when they encounter multisyllabic words with vowel teams. Consider asking students to add the letter "d" to the end of "tie" to make the word "tied." Ask a volunteer to use each word in a sentence. Draw students' attention to the difference between the words once the "d" has been added (present vs. past tense).
B. Chaining: Encoding with Vowel Patterns "ie" and "igh" (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"): "Now it's time to spell the words, using letter sound connections. Now it's time to spell the words; be careful, listen for the sounds." Continue with the Chaining instructional practice, now focusing on the encoding portion: 1. Teacher says the first word: "tie." 2. Students say "tie." 3. Teacher writes the letters that correspond to each sound on the board, emphasizing proper letter formation (see Letter Formation chart for suggested formation of each letter): "t-i-e." 4. Teacher covers the word. 5. Students write the word on their whiteboards from memory: "tie." 6. Teacher uncovers the word. 7. Students check their spelling. 8. Students erase their whiteboards. 9. Repeat steps 1-8 with remaining words: "lie," "pie," "light," "high," "might."	Consider asking students to underline the vowel pattern in each word to identify it. Consider asking students to identify the captain of the vowel pattern in each word.

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Chaining: Decoding with Vowel Patterns “ie” and “igh”

(Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”):

“Now it’s time to decode words using the letter sound connections; now it’s time to decode words; be careful, watch for a change.”

Distribute whiteboards, whiteboard markers, and whiteboard erasers.
Begin the Chaining instructional practice:

1. Teacher shows the word with movable letters: “tie.”

2. Teacher says: “Let’s examine this word carefully.”

3. Teacher asks:

“What do we notice about this word that might help us decode it?” (two vowels together)

4. Teacher says: “Right! These vowels together are a ‘vowel team’ because they stick right next to each other and work together like a team. This must be another way to spell the long vowel sound of ‘i.’ Let’s see if we can read this word by using the long vowel sound for ‘i.’”

5. Teacher points to each letter from left to right, making the /ī/ sound while sliding under the “ie” as one sound and blending to pronounce the word “tie.”

6. Students write the word on their whiteboards: “tie.” Teacher emphasizes proper letter formation (see Letter Formation chart for suggested formation of each letter).

7. Students point to each letter from left to right, making each sound and blending to pronounce the word “tie.”

8. Teacher removes the “t” and replaces it with an “l.”

9. Teacher asks:

“How has the word changed?” (The first letter is an “l” instead of a “t.”)

“And what is this new word?” (“lie”)

10. Students erase the “t” and write an “l” in its place to form the new word: “lie.”

11. Students point to each letter from left to right, making each sound and blending to pronounce the word “lie.”

12. Repeat steps 8–11 with “pie.”

13. Teacher says: “Now that we have learned about a new vowel team to spell the /ī/ sound in words, I wonder if there is still another vowel pattern for the /ī/ sound. Let’s look at another new word I found that has a different spelling for /ī/.”

14. Teacher shows the word with movable letters: “light.”

15. Teacher says: “In this word, I see the vowel ‘i,’ but it is followed by ‘gh.’ This is a very interesting and special vowel pattern. This team has three letters used to make the /ī/ sound!”

16. Teacher asks:

“Who the team captain is in this pattern?” (“i”)

17. Teacher says: “Right! This vowel pattern is special because the ‘i’ is captain of three letters, and we hear the /ī/ sound when they are together.”

18. Follow steps 8–11 with words “light,” “high,” and “might.”

19. After the teacher adds the last word to the list and students decode it, he or she guides students to read the entire list of words (as a group and/or individual volunteers).

20. Teacher says: “We have learned two new ways to spell the /ī/ sound that we hear in words.”

21. Teacher asks:

“What did we learn about the vowel sound in each of these patterns? (The sound they make is the /ī/ sound.)

22. Teacher says: “Right! The first vowel in the team is the team captain, so it is the leader of the team. The first vowel’s long sound is the one we hear in each word.”

23. Record the words on the Vowel Team anchor chart.

Guide students in discovering the relationship between the vowels in the vowel team, reinforcing the language of "vowel pattern" and "vowel sounds."
Consider making a small "captain" hat (or letter/armband) to place above the first vowel, which will reinforce the first vowel as captain in the vowel team. This can be used as a helpful visual for students to remember which vowel sound they hear in the word. This will support students later in the module when they encounter multisyllabic words with vowel teams.
Consider asking students to add the letter "d" to the end of "tie" to make the word "tied." Ask a volunteer to use each word in a sentence. Draw students' attention to the difference between the words once the "d" has been added (present vs. past tense).

B. Chaining: Encoding with Vowel Patterns "ie" and "igh"

(Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "The More We Get Together"):

"Now it's time to spell the words, using letter sound connections. Now it's time to spell the words; be careful, listen for the sounds."

Continue with the Chaining instructional practice, now focusing on the encoding portion:

1. Teacher says the first word: "tie."

2. Students say "tie."

3. Teacher writes the letters that correspond to each sound on the board, emphasizing proper letter formation (see Letter Formation chart for suggested formation of each letter): "t-i-e."

4. Teacher covers the word.

5. Students write the word on their whiteboards from memory: "tie."

6. Teacher uncovers the word.

7. Students check their spelling.

8. Students erase their whiteboards.

9. Repeat steps 1-8 with remaining words: "lie," "pie," "light," "high," "might."

Consider asking students to underline the vowel pattern in each word to identify it.
Consider asking students to identify the captain of the vowel pattern in each word.

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Reflecting on Learning Emphasize that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Point out that they are doing this each time they consider how what they did today helps them to become more proficient readers. Invite students to reflect and share with a partner (or whole group). Ask: "What did you do today that is helping you become a more proficient reader?" (Responses will vary. Example: "I looked for the vowel team and remembered to read the long vowel sound for the first vowel.")	For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples: "When I saw two vowels together, I _____." "When I wrote the letter _____, I _____." "When I heard the sound _____, I _____."

Closing

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

Emphasize that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Point out that they are doing this each time they consider how what they did today helps them to become more proficient readers.
Invite students to reflect and share with a partner (or whole group). Ask:

"What did you do today that is helping you become a more proficient reader?" (Responses will vary. Example: "I looked for the vowel team and remembered to read the long vowel sound for the first vowel.")

For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Examples:

"When I saw two vowels together, I _____."
"When I wrote the letter _____, I _____."
"When I heard the sound _____, I _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with the Pre-Alphabetic and Partial Alphabetic groups. Teacher may meet briefly with the Full and Consolidated groups to provide a weekly Word List and exit ticket or possibly set up a management system allowing these students to find the list and exit ticket and begin work independently.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group Work Guidance document for more details (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual).

Pre-Alphabetic:

Aim small group instruction at building students' knowledge and skills of letter identification and phonological awareness.
Use the Assessment Conversion chart to determine appropriate Kindergarten lessons and Activity Bank ideas to use in daily small group instruction.

Partial Alphabetic:

Students in the early to middle Partial Alphabetic (PA) phase may need to spend more time with long vowel sound patterns than the whole group lessons provide. Those working within the middle to late PA phase may be comfortable using the vowel team patterns introduced in this cycle. If so, small group work may include extended practice of work time.
Suggestions for working with students at the early to middle PA phase:

Use the Decodable Reader from Cycles 21-23 to examine spelling patterns for long vowel sounds.
Spend time on lessons and/or patterns from a previous cycle that may need more practice. Consider using the Assessment Conversion chart to determine an appropriate previous cycle.

Related Activity Bank suggestions:

Any Activity Bank activity from the Vowels category (V)

Full and Consolidated Alphabetic:

Establish weekly Word Lists and exit tickets for independent work time (see supporting materials).
Additional Supporting Materials:

Word List Guidance (for teacher reference)
Word List (one per student or per pair)
Word Card Template (one per student or per pair)
Sorting Words Template (one per student or per pair)

EL Education Curriculum

ELA G1:S4:C24:L121

Decoding: Vowel Patterns "ie" and "igh"

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

Ongoing Assessment

Agenda

In Advance

Vocabulary

Materials

Opening

Work Time

Closing & Assessments

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

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