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Vowel Team Voyage

Lesson Plan

Vowel Team Voyage

Students will complete a targeted 10-item formative assessment on short and long vowel teams and diphthongs to demonstrate their ability to apply spelling-sound correspondences, providing immediate data to guide next-step instruction.

Mastery of vowel teams and diphthongs is essential for decoding and spelling common words, building reading fluency and confidence. This quick check pinpoints strengths and gaps so teachers can tailor support.

Audience

2nd Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Administer, score, and analyze a targeted 10-item vowel team assessment.

Materials

Prep

Prepare Assessment Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Review

5 minutes

  • Gather students on the carpet or at their desks
  • Briefly review short vowel teams (ea, oo), long vowel teams (oa, eigh), and diphthongs (oi, ou)
  • Explain that today’s quick check will show how well they can spell and read these patterns

Step 2

Assessment Administration

20 minutes

  • Distribute the Vowel Team Voyage Assessment
  • Instruct students to write clearly and check their work
  • Circulate to monitor understanding and provide quiet encouragement
  • Remind students to do their best; this isn’t graded for a grade, but to help you know how to help them

Step 3

Scoring & Analysis

5 minutes

  • Collect all assessments and use the Vowel Team Voyage Answer Key and Rubric to mark correct vs. incorrect responses
  • Tally errors by vowel pattern for each student
  • Note patterns of difficulty to group students and plan reteaching or enrichment in upcoming lessons
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Slide Deck

Vowel Team Voyage

2nd Grade Tier 1 Formative Assessment
Short & Long Vowel Teams & Diphthongs

Welcome students! Today we're going on a Vowel Team Voyage. We'll explore vowel teams and diphthongs. This is a quick check to see how well you know these patterns. Encourage them to do their best and remind them it isn't for a grade but to help me know how to help them.

Mission Objective

• Complete a 10-item quick check
• Show mastery of:
– Short vowel teams (ea, oo)
– Long vowel teams (oa, eigh)
– Diphthongs (oi, ou)

Review the objective slide. Explain that this mission will help guide future reading and spelling lessons.

Short Vowel Teams

• ea → head
• oo → hook

These teams make a short vowel sound!

Point to each example, say “head” and “hook” with the class. Highlight that these are short vowel sounds.

Long Vowel Teams

• oa → boat
• eigh → weigh

They say their vowel name!

Pronounce each word and have students repeat. Emphasize that these teams say the vowel’s name.

Diphthongs

• oi → boil
• ou → cloud

Two vowels glide together!

Explain that diphthongs glide two vowels together. Have students listen and repeat: b-oi-l, cl-ou-d.

Assessment Instructions

• Listen to each prompt
• Write each word clearly
• Check your spelling
• Work quietly and do your best
• Raise your hand if you need help

Go through each bullet so students know what to expect. Emphasize neat writing and doing their best.

Set Sail!

Grab a pencil and your clipboard.
Here we go!

Distribute the Vowel Team Voyage Assessment. Remind students to grab a pencil and clipboard and begin when ready.

After the Voyage

• I will score with the Answer Key & Rubric
• We’ll see which teams we know well
• Next steps will be tailored to help everyone

Explain how you will score their work and use results to plan next lessons. Emphasize that mistakes help us learn.

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Worksheet

Vowel Team Voyage Assessment

Spell each word. Use the clues to write the word with the correct vowel team.

  1. The front part of your body where you think.


  2. Soft food made from flour that you toast or butter.


  3. A set of pages that you read.


  4. Something you hang things on or use to catch fish.


  5. A vessel that floats on water.


  6. To measure weight on a scale.


  7. What water does when it reaches a high temperature.


  8. A white, fluffy mass that floats in the sky.


  9. A small, round piece of metal used as money.


  10. To make a loud call or yell.



    When you’re done, use the Vowel Team Voyage Answer Key and Rubric to score your work.
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Answer Key

Vowel Team Voyage Answer Key and Rubric

Answer Key

#ClueAnswerVowel TeamPoints
1The front part of your body where you think.headea (short /ɛ/)1
2Soft food made from flour that you toast or butter.breadea (short /ɛ/)1
3A set of pages that you read.bookoo (short /ʊ/)1
4Something you hang things on or use to catch fish.hookoo (short /ʊ/)1
5A vessel that floats on water.boatoa (long /oʊ/)1
6To measure weight on a scale.weigheigh (long /eɪ/)1
7What water does when it reaches a high temperature.boiloi (diphthong)1
8A white, fluffy mass that floats in the sky.cloudou (diphthong)1
9A small, round piece of metal used as money.coinoi (diphthong)1
10To make a loud call or yell.shoutou (diphthong)1

Total Points: 10

Detailed Explanations (Step‐by‐Step Thought Process)

  1. “Head” – Front part of your body; ea spells short /ɛ/ (as in head).
  2. “Bread” – Soft flour food; ea spells short /ɛ/ (as in bread).
  3. “Book” – A set of pages; oo spells short /ʊ/ (as in book).
  4. “Hook” – Hang or catch; oo spells short /ʊ/ (as in hook).
  5. “Boat” – Floats on water; oa spells long /oʊ/ (as in boat).
  6. “Weigh” – Measure weight; eigh spells long /eɪ/ (as in weigh).
  7. “Boil” – Water at high temp.; oi spells diphthong /ɔɪ/ (as in boil).
  8. “Cloud” – Fluffy sky mass; ou spells diphthong /aʊ/ (as in cloud).
  9. “Coin” – Metal money; oi spells diphthong /ɔɪ/ (as in coin).
  10. “Shout” – Loud call; ou spells diphthong /aʊ/ (as in shout).

Scoring Rubric

  • Each correctly spelled word earns 1 point.
  • Total possible points: 10.

Mastery Levels

  • 9–10 points (Mastery): Strong command of all vowel teams and diphthongs.
  • 7–8 points (Developing): Partial mastery; reinforce specific patterns.
  • 0–6 points (Needs Support): Gaps in multiple patterns; plan targeted reteaching.

Error Categories for Grouping and Analysis

Track and tally student errors by vowel-team pattern to inform small-group instruction:

  • ea (items 1–2)
  • oo (items 3–4)
  • oa (item 5)
  • eigh (item 6)
  • oi (items 7 & 9)
  • ou (items 8 & 10)

Use these counts to group students who need extra practice with the same vowel team or to enrich those who show consistent mastery.

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