2nd grade
oi, oy, ou and ow Word Search
Ten words with oi, oy, ou, ow, au and aw hidden across, down and diagonally down: coin, toy, cloud, crown and straw.
Phonics worksheet · Bossy R and diphthongs
Bossy R Word Search
Ten ar, or, er, ir and ur words hidden across, down and diagonally down: shark, storm, shirt, nurse, fern and more.
- Grade level
- 2nd grade
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- R-controlled vowels, Diphthongs, Spelling one sound many ways
What kids do
“Find all 10 words. They go across, down or diagonally down. Cross each one off the list!”
Printed on the sheet:
- Pick two words with different bossy R spellings. Write them:
Words on this sheet
sharkstormshirtnursefernhornscarfburngirlcard
Teacher tip
Ask kids to circle the bossy R team in each word.
How to use it
- Call the r “bossy” and act it out: the r pushes the vowel to make a new sound.
- Say the sound with a picture: ar like a pirate, or like a fork, ou like “ouch”.
- Use the sheet as a quick check after you teach the sound, then reteach in a small group.
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
Bossy R Bingo
Two different bingo cards with 16 ar, or, er, ir and ur words, plus the caller’s list. Play in pairs or as a class.
2nd grade
Read and Draw: Bossy R
Four bossy R sentences to read and draw: a shark in a purple shirt, a bird on a fork and stars over a barn.
2nd grade
Sentences: oi, oy, ou, ow
Eight sentences with oi, oy, ou or ow missing: boy, coin, boil, cow, mouse, shout, crown and noise.
Free for teachers
Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit
12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.