Spell Words Containing the ‘OW’ Diphthong

Diphthongs are sounds formed by a combination of two vowel sounds. The sound starts with the first vowel sound and then moves to the second. One such example of a diphthong is ‘ow’ – think words such as ‘cow’ and ‘cloud’.

This classroom game is a fun and active resource that enables students to review the most commonly used ‘ow’ graphemes. During the activity, students move around the classroom as they complete the activities on the task cards. They are required to:

• look at the picture on the card
• identify the correct ‘ow’ grapheme required to spell the word
• write the word using the correct grapheme on their recording sheet.

The ‘ow’ graphemes included in this phonics activity are:

• ow (as in cow)
• ou (as in cloud).

We’ve Done the Differentiation for You!

This literacy resource comes with two differentiated sets of 24 task cards. The distinctions between these two sets are outlined below.

Set 1: In addition to the picture, these task cards show the word underneath with blank lines to indicate the missing ‘ow’ grapheme, e.g. the word ‘cloud’ would have the ‘ow’ grapheme missing in the middle of the word. The accompanying recording sheet for this scaffolded set of cards has the answer prewritten. There are blank spaces for students to add the correct ‘ow’ grapheme to each word.

Set 2: These task cards contain the picture only. The accompanying recording sheet for this set requires students to write down all of the words that match the cards without any scaffolding provided.

Why not mix and match the task cards and recording sheets to best suit the needs of your students?

Other Applications of This Active Phonics Game

Need to keep your students a little more contained? You could always try these alternate ideas:

Group Sorting Activity

Provide the students with the task cards. Have them group the cards according to the ‘ow’ grapheme that is missing.

Pair Card Games

Have the students use the task cards to play card games such as ‘Memory’ or ‘Snap!’ Matches are made by words that share the same ‘ow’ grapheme.

Show Me!

Provide the students with mini whiteboards and markers. Show them the task cards in turn. Have the students write the missing ‘ow’ grapheme on their whiteboard (or have more-capable students spell the word). When the students are finished, say “Show Me!” Students can turn around their boards, allowing you to monitor who requires additional help with the concept.

Easily Download and Prepare This Resource

Use the dropdown arrow on the Download button to select the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

Print one version of the resource, then copy the task cards on thick card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access.

Recording sheets can be placed into dry-erase sleeves and reused time and again!

This resource was created by Alessandra Pastor, a Teach Starter collaborator.