Last week in phonics and spelling, students were introduced to “bossy r,” also called r-controlled vowels or combination vowels. First graders have learned “bossy r” is bossy but polite. It lets the vowel go first, but it doesn’t let it say its sound.
Last week, we learned the first “bossy r,” ar. Today, students were introduced to er. They learned that er, ir, and ur all make the same sound. We then brainstormed and selected words with the er spelling pattern. Since the er spelling of “bossy r” is the most common, students will be encouraged to use this pattern as the first choice when making an educated guess of how to spell a word.
Bossy R – The Electric Company