Phonics Quest Day 1 Teacher Guide Level 2: Unit 16
Day 1: Double Vowel Launch
Vowel Teams au & aw • Heart Word: August
TIME ALLOTMENT 55 Minutes
Objectives
Identify that au and aw make the /ô/ sound.
Classify words as double vowel (d) syllables .
Spell /ô/ words based on position (middle vs. end).
Map and write the heart word August .
Materials Needed
Day 1 Instructional Slides
Day 1 Practice Worksheet & Pencil
Hands-on Word Sorting Cards (au/aw)
Teacher phonics board, red heart markers
1
Phonemic Awareness Warm-Up (5 mins)
Tell students: "Today, we are going to explore a new sound in our words. Listen closely: /ô/, /ô/. Repeat after me: /ô/." Ask students to look at your mouth. Highlight that the jaw drops slightly and lips form a rounded oval shape.
Auditory Word Hunt: Read the following words. If they hear the /ô/ sound, students mimic catching a falling autumn leaf in the air: jaw, chop, haunt, lawn, clock, crawl, straw, lock, launch. (Teacher Tip: Contrast /ô/ in 'lawn' with /ŏ/ in 'lock' if students struggle to hear the difference.)
2
Direct Instruction: Vowel Teams au & aw (12 mins)
Introduce the graphemes using the slide presentation. Point out that both au and aw are double vowel syllables (vowel teams) because two vowels (or a vowel and a 'w' acting as a vowel) work together to make one unique sound.
au Middle Spelling Pattern
Found almost exclusively in the middle of a syllable.Examples: haunt, launch, sauce
aw End Spelling Pattern (or before L/N)
Found at the end of a syllable or word, or before 'l' or 'n'.Examples: jaw, crawl, lawn, claw
Syllable Marking (The "Scoop" Method): Demonstrate on the board how to mark these syllables. Write launch and crawl . Scoop the word with a single curved line under the syllable, circle the vowel team (au or aw ), and write a d underneath the scoop to signify a double vowel syllable .
Autumn Phonics Quest • Teacher Resources Page 1 of 2
Level 2: Unit 16
Day 1: Double Vowel Launch
Guided Practice, Hands-on Card Sorting & Orthographic Mapping
3
Guided Practice & Worksheets (10 mins)
Distribute the Day 1 Practice Worksheet . Model the first syllable scoop and circle exercise on the board:
Step-by-Step Modeling: Write "haunt". Ask: "Where is our vowel team?" (au). "Circle 'au'. Now scoop 'haunt' because it is one single syllable. What letter goes under our scoop?" (d). Ensure students understand that 'd' stands for double vowel. Have students complete Part 1 on their worksheets. Walk around to verify correct markings.
4
Orthographic Mapping: Heart Word "August" (13 mins)
Introduce the heart word: August . Explain that a "Heart Word" has parts that do not follow the spelling rules we've learned yet, so we have to learn those parts by heart.
Teaching Steps for August:
Tap the syllables: Au-gust (two syllables).
First syllable: /ô/. It is spelled with Au. The 'A' is capitalized because it is a month. Since 'au' is our new team, mapping this part is now regular, but we place a heart above u because it can sound like a schwa /ə/ (/ô-gəst/).
Second syllable: /g/ /ŭ/ /s/ /t/. This syllable is perfectly regular: g-u-s-t.
Have students color the mapping boxes on their worksheet, placing a small heart above the u in "gust" to mark the schwa sound.
Mapping Visual
Au
g
u
s
t
5
Hands-on Card Sorting & Dictation (15 mins)
Activity: Vowel Team Sorting. Put students in pairs. Distribute the printable Word Sorting Cards. Students cut (or receive pre-cut cards) and place them into two columns: Middle (au) and End/L-N (aw) .
Spelling Dictation (Part 2 of Worksheet): Lead students in spelling practice:
1. Pronounce the word: crawl. Have students repeat, tap the sounds (/k/ /r/ /ô/ /l/), and write it down. Instruct them to choose aw because it comes before 'l'.
2. Next words: haunt, lawn, August, launch, straw. Provide feedback instantly.
Differentiation Support
For struggling readers: Highlight the letters 'au' and 'aw' with yellow crayon on card decks to focus on visual blending.For advanced spelling: Challenge students to spell multisyllabic words like coleslaw and astronaut .
Autumn Phonics Quest • Teacher Resources Page 2 of 2
Day 1 Phonics Presentation Slides Level 2: Unit 16
Autumn Phonics Quest
Day 1: Double Vowel Launch (au & aw)
Let's start our phonics safari!
Slide 1 of 7
The Sound: /ô/
Sound Intro
How to say it:
Drop your jaw down slightly.
Round your lips into an oval shape.
Say: /ô/ (like in "autumn").
Sound Hunt!
Listen closely to the word. Catch the falling leaf if you hear the /ô/ sound:
jaw
chop
haunt
lawn
clock
crawl
Repeat after me: /ô/, /ô/, /ô/ Slide 2 of 7
Grapheme Pattern: au
The Middle Rule
au
Spelled in the middle of a syllable.
haunt h - au - n - t
launch l - au - n - ch
sauce s - au - c - e
It is rare to find au at the very end of a word! Slide 3 of 7
Grapheme Pattern: aw
The End Rule
aw
Spelled at the end of a syllable, or before L or N .
saw At the end
jaw At the end
crawl Before L
lawn Before N
Remember: L and N love to follow aw ! Slide 4 of 7
Syllable Safari: Marking Double Vowels
Marking Guide
To mark a double vowel syllable , scoop the word, circle the vowel team, and write a d underneath.
1 SYLLABLE
l a u n c h
d
1 SYLLABLE
c r a w l
d
The letter "d" stands for "double vowel syllable"! Slide 5 of 7
Heart Word: August
Heart Part
Let's map out the sounds in August .
Au
/ô/
g
/g/
Heart Part
u
/ə/ (schwa)
Day 1 Phonics Worksheet Level 2: Unit 16
Syllable Quest: Day 1 Practice
Name:
Date:
Part 1: Syllable Safari • Scoop & Mark
Instructions: Read each word. Circle the vowel team (au or aw ). Then, scoop the syllable and write the letter d in the bubble underneath (double vowel).
haunt
lawn
launch
saw
crawl
vault
Part 2: Orthographic Mapping • "August"
Instructions: Say "August". Tap the sounds. Write each sound's letters in its own box. Color the heart above the tricky "Heart Part".
Sound 1
Sound 2
Sound 3
Sound 4
Sound 5
Write "August" three times neatly:
Part 3: Guided Spelling • Word Dictation
Instructions: Listen as your teacher reads a word. Think of the /ô/ rules, and write the word neatly.
Autumn Phonics Quest • Day 1 Practice Worksheet Unit 16 Double Vowel Syllables
Word Sorting Cards and Mat Unit 16 Activity
Syllable Safari Word Sort Mat
Team Members:
Sorting Instructions: Cut out the 12 word cards from Page 2. Read each word with your partner. Place the card in the correct column based on whether it uses the au or aw pattern!
au Middle Spelling Pattern
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
aw End of Syllable or Before L/N
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
Place Word Card Here
Autumn Phonics Quest • Day 1 Sorting Board Double Vowel Hands-on Game
Unit 16 Activity
Printable Word Cards
Cut-out Sheet
Card 1 haunt Vowel Team au
Card 2 crawl Vowel Team aw
Card 3 lawn Vowel Team aw
Card 4 saw Vowel Team aw
Card 5 launch Vowel Team au
Card 6 jaw Vowel Team aw
Card 7 August Heart Word (au)
Card 8 daughter Heart Word (augh)
Card 9 laugh Heart Word (au / gh)
Card 10 vault Vowel Team au
Card 11 straw Vowel Team aw
Card 12 yawn Vowel Team aw
Autumn Phonics Quest • Day 1 Word Cards Double Vowel Hands-on Game
Phonics Quest Day 2 Teacher Guide Level 2: Unit 16
Day 2: Phonics Mastery Quest
Advanced au/aw • Heart Words: laugh & daughter
TIME ALLOTMENT 55 Minutes
Day 2 Objectives
Review and blend advanced au and aw words.
Map and write the heart words laugh and daughter .
Read a decodable passage with automaticity and accuracy.
Write a structured teacher-guided spelling dictation sentence.
Materials Needed
Day 2 Instructional Slides
Day 2 Practice Worksheet & Pencil
"Autumn Adventure" Decodable Passage Sheets
Crayons or highlighters (orange/yellow)
1
Quick Deck Review & Synthesis (7 mins)
Begin by reviewing the cards from Day 1. Flash the vowel teams au and aw . Have students call out the sound: /ô/.
Review Words: Present the words haunt, launch, crawl, jaw, August on slides or board. Have the class read them in chorus, scoop them as double vowel syllables, and state whether they are 'au' (middle) or 'aw' (end/special rule). Ask: "Why does 'crawl' use aw even though it is not at the very end of the word?" (Expected answer: Because 'aw' is used before 'l' and 'n').
2
Orthographic Mapping: Heart Words "laugh" & "daughter" (18 mins)
Introduce today's complex heart words. Project the Orthographic Mapping slides to guide students box-by-box.
1. Mapping "laugh" (/l/ /ă/ /f/ - 3 sounds, 5 letters)
Sound 1: /l/ is spelled with l (regular).au . This is highly irregular! Place a heart above au .gh . Place a heart above gh because students have not learned this spelling for /f/.
l
au
gh
2. Mapping "daughter" (/d/ /ô/ /t/ /er/ - 4 sounds, 8 letters)
Syllable 1: daugh (/d/ /ô/). Sound 1 is /d/ (d). Sound 2 is /ô/ spelled augh . This 4-letter grapheme is extremely rare for /ô/. Place a heart above augh .ter (/t/ /er/). Sound 3 is /t/ (t), Sound 4 is /er/ spelled er (regular).
d
augh
t
Day 2 Phonics Presentation Slides Level 2: Unit 16
Autumn Phonics Quest
Day 2: Phonics Mastery Quest (laugh & daughter)
Ready to master our double vowels?
Slide 1 of 6
Sound & Rule Review!
Quick Drill
au Middle of Syllable
haunt launch sauce
aw End or Before L / N
saw lawn crawl
Vowel team sounds: /ô/, /ô/, /ô/ Slide 2 of 6
Heart Word: laugh
Double Heart Word
Let's map out the sounds in laugh .3 sounds but is spelled with 5 letters !
l
/l/
Heart Part
au
/ă/
Heart Part
gh
/f/
The letters au make the short 'a' /ă/ sound, and gh makes /f/! Slide 3 of 6
Heart Word: daughter
4-Letter Heart
Let's map out the sounds in the first syllable: daugh -ter.
d
/d/
Heart Part
augh
/ô/
t
/t/
er
/er/
We spell /ô/ with augh in daughter. That's a huge 4-letter team! Slide 4 of 6
Reading "Autumn Adventure"
Active Reading
The Phonics Hunt
Grab your yellow highlighter! As we read together, scan and circle these target words:
lawn
August
daughter
fawn
straw
laugh
Discuss the Story
Who is the main character in the story?
What cute animal wanders onto the lawn?
What did the fawn do to make everyone laugh?
Read with expression and watch out for punctuation marks! Slide 5 of 6
Phonics Mastery Check!
My Checklist
Can you do these three things?
Identify
Spot and read words with au and aw easily.
Spell
Write heart words August , laugh , and daughter .
Day 2 Phonics Worksheet Level 2: Unit 16
Syllable Quest: Day 2 Practice
Name:
Date:
Part 1: Orthographic Mapping • Tricky Heart Words
Instructions: Say each heart word. Tap the sounds. Write the letters for each sound in the boxes. Color the hearts above the irregular "Heart Parts"!
1. laugh
Sound 1
Sound 2
Sound 3
Write word:
2. daughter
Sound 1
Sound 2
Sound 3
Sound 4
Write word:
Part 2: Guided Writing • Sentence Dictation
Instructions: Listen as your teacher reads the sentence. Capitalize the first letter, use neat spacing, and add a punctuation mark at the end!
Part 3: Contextual Clues • Fill-in-the-Blanks
Instructions: Complete each sentence using the correct word from the forest word bank below.
lawn
August
laugh
daughter
1. The warm summer month before September is called .
2. The father smiled and sat next to his young .
3. We saw a tiny brown fawn sleeping out on the green grass .
4. The funny joke was so silly that it made all of us .
Autumn Phonics Quest • Day 2 Practice Worksheet Unit 16 Double Vowel Syllables
Day 2 Decodable Passage Unit 16 Reader
Decodable Quest: Reading Passage
Name:
Date:
Target Words: au, aw, laugh, daughter, August
The Fawn on the Lawn
It was a cool day in August . Ben and his sister sat by the deck. Suddenly, they saw a tiny brown fawn crawl out onto the soft green lawn . The fawn had tiny white spots on its back.
The mother was near. She was a tall doe with soft eyes. The fawn stopped to chew on a dry piece of yellow straw that lay on the grass. The fawn looked very silly chewing on the straw, which made the father's young daughter start to laugh .
Their soft laugh did not frighten the animals. The fawn licked its nose with a pink tongue, and then both animals walked back into the thick autumn woods. It was a beautiful thing to see!
1. Highlighter Hunt Yellow highlight all /ô/ words.
2. Whisper Practice Read the story 3 times.
3. Count 'em Up Write how many au/aw you saw:
Reading Comprehension • Story Check-Up
1. What month does this autumn adventure take place in?
2. What did the tiny fawn chew on that looked so silly?
3. Why did the daughter laugh during the story?
Autumn Phonics Quest • Day 2 Decodable Passage Reading with Accuracy & Comprehension
Unit 17 Consonant-le Slides Level 2: Unit 17
Tumble & Gobble
Mastering the Consonant-le Syllable Type
A noble phonics quest awaits!
Slide 1 of 6
What is Consonant-le?
The Rule
Three Simple Clues:
Always found at the end of a word.
The e is silent, but holds the syllable open.
Sounds like /ul/ (e.g., -ble, -tle, -dle).
Our Castle Words:
gobble
noble
tumble
Consonant-le is a brand-new syllable type! Slide 2 of 6
Divide & Conquer
Syllable Division
The "Count Back 3" Rule:
Start at the end of the word. Count back 3 letters (e, l, consonant), and split the word right there!
tumble
tum | ble
1. tum (closed)
noble
no | ble
1. no (open)
Always split exactly before the consonant-le team! Slide 3 of 6
Open vs. Closed Before -le
Vowel Sounds
Closed (Short Vowel)
If the first syllable is closed, the vowel sound is short.
gob-ble /ŏ/ (short)
tum-ble /ŭ/ (short)
Open (Long Vowel)
If the first syllable is open, the vowel sound is long.
no-ble /ō/ (long)
ca-ble /ā/ (long)
Look closely at the syllable split to find the vowel sound! Slide 4 of 6
Castle Chorus: Let's Read!
Choral Drill
Say the words together, clap the syllables, and identify if they have a closed or open first syllable!
puz-zle Closed
ti-tle Open
mar-ble R-Controlled
Notice how each word ends in a silent e ! Slide 5 of 6
Castle Quest Steps
Mastery
Practice Sheet Tasks
1 Split words before consonant-le .
2 Identify closed vs. open vowels.
3 Spell and complete noble sentences!
Royal Reward! 👑
Completing your worksheet unlocks your title of Syllable Knight in the phonics kingdom!
Unit 17 Practice Worksheet Level 2: Unit 17
Syllable Quest: Consonant-le
Name:
Date:
Part 1: Syllable Division • Split & Label
Instructions: Use the "Count Back 3" rule. Draw a vertical line (|) to divide each word. Scoop both syllables, circle the consonant-le syllable, and label the first syllable as c (closed) or o (open).
tumble First Syllable:
C O
noble First Syllable:
C O
gobble First Syllable:
C O
puzzle First Syllable:
C O
title First Syllable:
C O
marble First Syllable:
R-Cont.
Part 2: Sound Detective • Noble Match
Instructions: Match the first syllable chunk with the correct consonant-le ending to make a real word. Write the full word on the line.
1. puz + zle =
3. gen + tle =
5. bot + tle =
2. ca + ble =
4. sta + ble =
6. can + dle =
Part 3: Castle Quest • Complete the Tale
Instructions: Use words from the royal word bank to complete the sentences neatly.
noble
gobble
tumble
puddle
1. The brave and knight rode his white horse into the castle courtyard.
2. If you run too fast down the rocky trail, you might slip and .
3. The hungry travelers were eager to down the delicious feast.
4. After the rain, the little dog splashed inside a muddy .
Autumn Phonics Quest • Unit 17 Practice Worksheet Consonant-le Syllables • Level 2 Phonics Mastery
