This short vowel practice activity reinforces the short vowel sounds A, E, and U.
This activity is best suited for Kindergarten-Second Grade.
- Read it aloud to your class as they follow along. You could pause as you get to some short vowel words, and they can read them out loud. They can do a motion such as raising their hand etc. when they hear a specific short vowel sound.
- They can read to each other in small groups or with you in a small group depending on their reading level. Several words will be above their reading level, but there are probably a lot of words they can try sounding out on their own.
- This short vowel practice activity is available in printable form and includes some extra activities in my TpT store.
Addie Elephant’s Umbrella
A Short Vowel Sounds Practice Activity
Once upon a time, in a lush green jungle, there lived a little elephant named Addie. Addie had big, floppy ears and a long, swishy trunk that she used to pick apples from the trees. Addie loved apples more than anything else in the world. Every morning, she would trot happily to the apple orchard, her trunk swinging with excitement.
One sunny day, as Addie was munching on her favorite apples, she noticed something unusual. Dark clouds started to gather in the sky, and tiny raindrops began to fall. Addie didn’t mind the rain, but she worried about her apples getting wet. Suddenly, she had an idea!
“I’ll use my umbrella to keep my apples dry!” she exclaimed happily.
Addie dashed back to her cozy little home and grabbed her bright red umbrella. With the umbrella held high above her head, she hurried back to the orchard. The rain was coming down harder now, but Addie didn’t mind. She was too busy munching on her delicious apples.
What do you think of Addie’s umbrella idea?
As she was enjoying her treat she started to notice that the orchard was strangely quiet. She had to admit, she liked having all the apples to herself! But it did feel a little lonely. Where were all her friends? Then she saw them hiding in a hole in a tree trying to stay out of the rain. They looked hungry and sad.
“Come under my umbrella!” Addie called out cheerfully.
Her friends happily gathered around her, huddling under the umbrella. They wanted to do something kind for Addie. Max Monkey shared some bananas, and Billy Birdbeak shared the seeds he had been collecting. They had a delicious lunch of fruit and seeds while they stayed dry under Addie’s umbrella. She was so glad she had decided to share with her friends! Addie realized that as much as she loved apples, she loved her friends even more.
The End
I hope you enjoyed this short vowel practice activity! I’m working on some more activites and would love your feedback! Please leave a comment below.
This is a great whole class, small group, or individual activity and can be accommodated to different learning styles and reading levels. Check out these 4 Tools to Build Reading Success.
Click here for a downloadable pdf of this story with accompanying activities to reinforce short vowel sounds and practice reading CVC words. The pdf includes miniature cards with pictures to match the short vowel sounds A, E, and U. There are some additional questions to encourage critical thinking and give students an opportunity to use their own creativity.
And check out this free download of helpful reading strategies for parents at The Colorful Apple.