Vowel Review and Practice

Vowel Sounds Practice for Older Struggling Readers | Middle School Phonics Intervention

Struggling readers in upper elementary and middle school often miss key vowel sound knowledge—holding them back from decoding multisyllabic words and growing as confident readers.

This resource is designed specifically for older students who need targeted, age-appropriate practice with the most common vowel sounds.

Whether you’re supporting Tier 2 intervention, special education, or ELA small groups, this hands-on resource will help students build the strong vowel foundation they need—without feeling elementary.

What’s Included (40 pages total):
✅ Tips for teaching vowel sounds to older readers

✅ Information and a teaching plan for the schwa vowel sound

✅A robust list of words with schwa sounds at the beginning, middle, and end

✅ Activities that engage and respect middle school learners

✅ Student progress tracking sheet

✅ 5 vowel posters, each in color + grayscale and letter (8.5×11) + tabloid (11×17) sizes

✅ 40 vowel & picture cards—formatted to fit printable business cards

✅schwa symbol cards for active instruction

✅ Sample “missing vowel” activity for easy practice or assessment and “roll and read” activity for schwa words

Why Teachers Love It:
✔️ Designed specifically for middle school, early high school, and upper elementary readers

✔️ Supports the Science of Reading approach and foundational skills

✔️Moves students toward the Decoding Threshold, where comprehension instruction takes hold

✔️ Low-prep and perfect for small groups, tutors, or intervention

✔️ Helps bridge gaps in decoding before advancing to multisyllabic words

 

Need more ideas for helping older striving readers build foundational skills? Be sure to check out the related blog post : https://huddleteach.com/working-with-middle-school-struggling-readers/