LumiraWhat is an r-controlled vowel?
When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel sound entirely — it is neither long nor short. These are sometimes called bossy-r vowels, and they need to be taught as their own category rather than as vowel-plus-r.
are words (r-controlled vowel) — word list
Every word below appears in the decodable book on this page, so a reader who practises the list will meet the same words again in context.
- care
- compare
- dare
- scare
- share
- spare
Free decodable book: Decodable R-Controlled ARE
This is an original Lumira decodable reader, written so that a child can sound out nearly every word using patterns they have already been taught. The full text is below — read it here, or open it in the app to read it together with the words highlighting as you speak.
Mia can share. Leo can share too. Mia and Leo share and share.
Leo did care. Mia did care too. Mia and Leo did care and care.
Mia and Leo did not scare the cat. The cat did not dare run.
Leo had a spare hat. Mia had a spare hat too.
Mia and Leo compare the hat. They like to compare and share. It is fun.
Share care dare spare scare compare. Mia and Leo like them all.
How to teach it
- Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
- Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
- Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
- Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
- Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.
Lessons that practise this pattern
are (r-controlled + silent e)
Read are as /air/
Word sort: are, ere, ire, ore, ure
Sort r-controlled + silent e words by their spelling