2
Double vowels: ee and the sounds of oo
Connect Primary 5 Term 2, Unit 7: pp. 10–17
GoalRead words with ee and say the three sounds of oo.
New words
double vowel · two of the same vowel letters togetherlong sound · a sound we say for a long time: moonshort sound · a sound we say quickly: bookblood · the red liquid in our bodyflood · too much water on the land
Explanation
Two vowel letters can come together. The letters ee usually say one long sound, like in bee, green and sleep. The letters oo are different. Most oo words have a long sound, as in moon, spoon and zoo. Some oo words have a short sound, as in book, foot and cook. Very few words say the sound in blood and flood. Say the words and sort them.
| long: moon | short: book | other: blood |
|---|---|---|
| moon | book | blood |
| spoon | foot | flood |
| zoo | cook | – |
| cool | wool | – |
Worked examples
Listen and say the ee words.
Listen and say the oo words with the long sound.
Listen and say the oo words with the short sound.
Now you. Say the words blood and flood. Which sound do they have in the middle: moon, book or neither?
Class activity
Sound sorting. Write twelve words on cards: moon, book, bee, green, foot, spoon, wool, zoo, cool, sleep, cook, blood. The child reads each card and puts it in a group: ee, long oo, short oo, other. The grown-up checks and says the words slowly.
Practice
1
Listen. Is the oo long (as in moon) or short (as in book)?
…
Short, as in book.
2
Which word has the long oo sound: zoo or foot?
zoo.
3
Fill in the missing letters: gr__n (ee or oo)
ee. The word is green.
4
Odd one out: bee, tree, green, book. Which word has no ee?
book.
5
Writing: write two words with oo as in moon and two with oo as in book.
For example: moon, spoon; book, foot.