Article: Mindful, Fun, Multisensory Materials for Learning the Vowel Combinations or Vowel Teams

Sep 16, 2021vowel combinations

Mindful, Fun, Multisensory Materials for Learning the Vowel Combinations or Vowel Teams

Teaching vowel combinations (or vowel teams) is one of the most challenging parts of early reading instruction. With multiple sound patterns and exceptions, it’s no surprise that many students struggle to decode and spell words with vowel teams. The good news: with the right multisensory strategies, vowel combinations become much easier for children to learn, remember, and apply in reading and writing. So, what is the most effective way to teach vowel teams to young readers?

Vowel Combinations Made Easy

Teaching vowel combinations doesn’t have to be confusing or dull—in fact, it can be fun, memorable, and truly multisensory with Vowel Combinations Made Easy. I created this resource for my own students, and it quickly became one of the most effective approaches I’ve used. Instead of rote memorization, children learn vowel teams through visual discovery, hands-on activities, and playful practice.

Students build mastery by:

spotting vowel teams hidden in illustrated scenes
coloring and completing engaging mazes
playing card games that reinforce patterns and sounds

These activities help students internalize vowel combinations in a way that feels like play, not work. And to make it easy for you to explore the approach, I’m sharing a free sample from the workbook, so you can try the activities with your learners and see the results firsthand.

👉 Click here to download your free sample pages and activities !

Other Orton-Gillingham-Based Resources:

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.