When 'ee', 'ea' and 'ay' are in words, they usually make the long /e/ and /a/ sounds. Examples of words with 'ee' are "sheep", 'beach' and 'seat' with 'ea', and 'clay' and 'play' with 'ay'. Check this colourful worksheet with your kids; help them find the words that make the long /e/ sound like 'sheep'.
Say "dog" and notice how long it takes to pronounce the vowel. Is it short or long? Compare it to "pea" and use this worksheet to quickly assess your child's mastery. Have them name each picture and listen for the vowel sounds. Only check the boxes for words with short vowel sounds.
Have your early learner identify long vowels with this quick review. Ask them to name each picture aloud and listen out for the long vowel sounds to separate them from the shorter ones. Circle the ones that are long! Watch out for words with two vowels - they can be tricky!