The cool thing about vowels is that they are among the few letters of the English alphabet that have 2 sounds—long and short. 

To play our Long and Short Vowel Sounds Dominoes, students will look at the picture and connect the matching vowel sound in the word by its long and short symbol. 

Through this activity, students will build phonological awareness by distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

Identify Words with Short and Long Vowel Sounds

Use this resource in your reading center, as a guided reading activity, or a whole class exercise (see below) to practice distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds.

Shuffle and divide all domino cards equally among players. To start, a player lays down a domino in the middle of the playing area. Students then take turns matching either side of the card—the image or vowel sound—with the dominoes in their hands. 

For example, if a player were to lay down the (short a) ă | 🐷 (pig) domino, the next player could lay down the card with the 🦇 (bat) to the left or ĭ (short i) to the right. Gameplay continues in this manner until all of the dominoes are gone.

An answer key is included so that students can self-check their matches.

Scaffolding & Extension Tips + More Long & Short Vowel Practice 

Challenge students who already understand the concept to put the words/pictures in alphabetical order.

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by using a visual reminder of the vowel sounds such as a poster or anchor chart.

Use this resource as independent practice for fast finishers, and for full-class learning opportunities like scoot activities, lesson reviews, formative assessments, and more.

🔔  Bell Ringer Activity

Leave the cards in a pile, and instruct students to grab one as soon as they enter the classroom. On a piece of paper, have students write the word in the picture and underline the vowel sound it features. On the other side, have students write one word with the long or short vowel on the card. 

👯‍♀️  Odd Man Out

Place three cards at each station, making sure two cards form a matching set, and the 3rd card doesn’t belong. Student pairs will rotate through each station and identify the long or short vowels used in the matches, writing their answers on a separate sheet of paper. 

⏰ Rhyme Time

Challenge students to look at the pictures and think of words that rhyme. What vowel sound do they share? Students who are proficient in CVC words can keep a list of the words in each image on a piece of paper, and write the rhyming words they come up with.   

Get our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies here! 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. An answer key is also included with this download.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Show your students how fun it is to play with vowel sounds with these and other Language Arts teaching resources: 

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