R-controlled vowels… Bossy R… R-influenced vowels — whatever you call them, they can be tricky for young readers to master! These Blend & Read R-Controlled Vowel worksheets provide structured, decodable practice that helps students confidently blend, decode, and read words with ar, er, ir, or, and ur.

Created with the Science of Reading in mind, these worksheets follow a predictable and explicit phonics routine. Each activity gives students focused practice on one r-controlled vowel pattern at a time — helping them build fluency through repetition, visual cues, and decoding support.

This no-prep resource is perfect for 1st grade, 2nd grade, or reading intervention and supports your phonics instruction with truly decodable words and consistent structure.

What’s Included:

• 10 printable worksheets targeting r-controlled vowels
• 5 pages focused on individual Bossy R patterns
• 5 BONUS mixed practice pages for spiral fluency review
• Over 25 truly decodable r-controlled vowel words
• Includes ar, er, ir, or, ur patterns
• Student-friendly design that supports independence

R-Controlled Vowel Skills Covered:

• ar
• er
• ir
• or
• ur
• + 5 pages of mixed review for fluency reinforcement
  

Note: Some decodable words may also include blends, long vowels, and/or silent e.

How the Worksheets Work:

Each page follows a simple, consistent routine to help students build decoding and fluency skills with r-controlled vowels:

• The phonics skill is labeled at the top of the page
• Numbered directions guide students through each step
• Students tap, blend, and read each word
• A single dot under the Bossy R vowel signals students to read it as one sound
• Connected dots support smooth blending
• Cut-and-paste picture matching builds comprehension and supports ESL/ELL learners
• A fluency table encourages rereading to promote automaticity
• Students track their fluency by coloring three smiley faces after repeated readings

Skills Students Practice:

• Decoding and reading r-controlled vowel words
• Recognizing and applying Bossy R patterns
• Building phonemic awareness and fluency
• Improving left-to-right tracking
• Strengthening reading confidence through repetition and structure

Perfect For:

• Small group phonics instruction
• Guided reading
• Reading intervention or RTI
• Literacy centers
• Homework or independent practice
• ESL / ELL support

Grade Levels:

• 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• Reading Intervention

Want All the Phonics Skills in One Place?

This resource is part of the Blend & Read Phonics Bundle, which includes 250+ pages of decodable fluency and phonics worksheets for CVC, blends, digraphs, diphthongs, vowel teams, and more.

👉 Click here for the money saving Blend & Read BUNDLE! to get all the sets and save BIG!

Ready to Help Your Students Master Bossy R Words?

Click Add to Cart to give your students the explicit, no-prep decoding practice they need to read r-controlled vowel words with confidence!

Are you looking for more resources for R-controlled vowels/Bossy R?

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• Phonics Writing Prompts - Diphthongs and R-Controlled Vowels

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