The "er" Sound

Welcome back to Read Not Guess. Today we’re going to work on the letter “R” when it makes an “er” sound as in the words “her,” “turn,” and “bird.”

Both parent and child will need to be able to see the screen.

Let’s get started.

Today’s Letter Sounds

Today we’re going to work on the “er” sound. It can be confusing for kids, especially when it comes to spelling, but “er,” “ir,” and “ur” can all make the same sound. Have them point to the letters as they read the "er" sound a few times:

er

ur

ir

They may look different, but they (usually) sound the same!

Word Practice

Now we’re going to work on blending the “er” sound in words. Your child can start slowly by saying each sound individually, but each time, they should try to say it just a bit faster.

Ask your child to say the correct sounds as they point to the letters:

h er

her

And:

g ir l

girl

And:

t ur n

turn

And:

ch ur n

churn

Let’s do some more:

b ir d

bird

And:

f ur

fur

And:

sis t er

sister

Three more:

b ar b er

barber

And:

ev er

ever

And:

b ox er

boxer

More Practice?

If your child is ready, see if they can read these (Warning: There are some tricks in here!):

burn, barn

farm, firm

perk, park

stir, star

torn, turn

fort, fart

Did they have fun with these? If they stumble, have them try again. Re-reading might sound boring to adults, but it’s good practice for kids.

That’s it for today. We’ll see you next time!

P.S. Ready for more practice? Try the free decodable story "The Worst Pet Ever" from UFLI Foundations.