OA and OW worksheets
Word sort with oa vowel team words, with an answer key · 1 page + answer key
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Oa and ow both spell long o. Like ai and ay, position helps: oa is almost always in the middle of a word (boat, road, soap), and ow is common at the end (snow, grow, throw). Ow does show up in the middle in a few words (bowl, own, grown), which makes this sort a little trickier than ai and ay.
All the ow words here say long o. Ow also spells the sound in cow and how, which most programs teach separately, a little later.
After the sort, read the ow column aloud and ask your child where the ow sits in most words.
Tips for using it
- Ask your child to circle the vowel team in each word before sorting.
- Say snow and cow. Talk about how ow can make two sounds, and that this sheet only uses the snow sound.
Variations
All vowel team worksheetsQuestions
When do you use oa or ow?
Oa usually spells long o in the middle of a word (boat). Ow often spells it at the end (snow), and sometimes in the middle (bowl).
Why doesn't this sheet include cow?
In cow, ow makes a different sound (as in ouch). Mixing both sounds too early confuses children, so this sheet sticks to the long o sound.