2nd grade
Bossy R Sentences
Eight sentences with ar, or, ir and ur words to finish: car, fork, bird, nurse, star, horse, shirt and dirt.
Phonics worksheet · Bossy R and diphthongs
Bossy R: er, ir, ur
One sound, three spellings: trace her, bird and fur, color the er, ir and ur words, pick the right spelling for six words and read a sentence.
- Grade level
- 2nd grade
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- R-controlled vowels, Diphthongs, Spelling one sound many ways
What kids do
“Three spellings, one sound! Read, trace, find and fill in er, ir and ur words.”
Printed on the sheet:
- 2. Read and trace
- 3. Color every word with er or ir or ur
- 4. Write er, ir or ur to finish each word
- Tip: Three spellings, one sound. Learn which one each word uses.
- 5. Read the sentence. Trace the er and ir and ur words.
- The girl saw a bird and a turtle.
- 6. Draw a bird on a turtle
Words on this sheet
hergirlfirsthutnosehurtclerkshirtfistclickheadnurseshotherdfern birdfur surfse
Teacher tip
Three spellings, one sound. Group the words by spelling to remember them.
How to use it
- Sort word cards by sound before writing.
- Point out that one sound can have several spellings, so kids need to remember which one.
- Use it in a small reading group so you can hear each child sound out a few words.
Watch for
er, ir and ur sound the same, so spelling them is about memory. Group words by spelling.
Talk about it
- Can you find a word in the room with this sound?
- Can you think of another word with the same sound?
Take it further
Hunt for ou and ow words in a picture book.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More bossy r and diphthongs worksheets
2nd grade
oi and oy
The /oy/ sound: trace coin, oil and boy, color the oi and oy words, fill in the right spelling and read a sentence.
2nd grade
ou and ow
The /ow/ sound: trace cloud, house and cow, color the ou and ow words, fill in the right spelling and read a sentence.
2nd grade
aw and au
The /aw/ sound: trace paw, draw and sauce, color the aw and au words, fill in the right spelling and read a sentence.
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