R-Controlled Vowel Sort – Hands-On Practice for AR, ER, IR, OR, and UR

If your students are working on r-controlled vowels, this set of cut-and-paste worksheets is a great way to give them hands-on practice with those tricky vowel-r combinations. With a focus on AR, ER, IR, OR, and UR, these activities help reinforce patterns students often see in everyday words.

AR ER IR OR UR Worksheet

Designed for 1st and 2nd grade, and also helpful for struggling readers in 3rd, the worksheets include a mix of one- and two-syllable words to keep things interesting while still being accessible.

Here’s what students will do:

  1. Read each word
  2. Circle the r-controlled vowel
  3. Cut out the word boxes
  4. Sort and glue them into the correct column

This resource is great for: Independent phonics practice, Literacy centers or small group instruction, Early finishers, Homework or take-home review and Quick assessments during a vowel-r unit

I’ve used this after introducing each r-controlled vowel sound, and it really helps students build confidence as they start to notice these patterns in both reading and spelling.