Vowels and Consonants: Let's Learn the Alphabet's Secret!

English Language Arts Grades Kindergarten 2:43 Video
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Lesson Description

This lesson introduces kindergarten students to vowels and consonants, the two main categories of letters in the alphabet. Through a fun video and interactive activities, students will learn to identify vowels and consonants and understand their importance in forming words.

Video Resource

What are Vowels and Consonants?

Miacademy Learning Channel

Duration: 2:43
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • The alphabet has 26 letters.
  • Letters are divided into two main groups: vowels and consonants.
  • Vowels are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y.
  • Consonants are all the other letters in the alphabet (including Y sometimes).

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the five main vowels (A, E, I, O, U).
  • Students will be able to differentiate between vowels and consonants.
  • Students will be able to name some examples of consonants.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they know how many letters are in the alphabet. Sing the alphabet song together. Tell them that today they will learn about the two groups that letters belong to: vowels and consonants.
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the "What are Vowels and Consonants?" video from Miacademy Learning Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQSnZn87Qt0). Ensure all students can see and hear the video clearly.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After watching the video, review the key concepts. Ask students what the two groups of letters are called. Write 'Vowels' and 'Consonants' on the board.
  • Vowel Identification Activity (10 mins)
    Write the alphabet on the board. Ask students to identify the vowels. As they name each vowel, circle it in red. Emphasize that A, E, I, O, and U are always vowels, and Y is *sometimes* a vowel.
  • Consonant Identification Activity (10 mins)
    Now, using a blue marker, circle all the consonants in the alphabet on the board. Point out that these are all the letters that *aren't* vowels (excluding the vowels already circled.)
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Summarize the lesson by reiterating that vowels and consonants are the two main groups of letters and that knowing them helps us read words. Tell them you will be doing activities on the computer as review.

Interactive Exercises

  • Vowel/Consonant Sort
    Prepare flashcards with uppercase and lowercase letters. Have students take turns picking a card and placing it under the correct heading ('Vowels' or 'Consonants').
  • Word Building
    Write simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words on the board (e.g., cat, dog, sun). Ask students to identify the vowels and consonants in each word. (this can be done as a class on the whiteboard, or printed out for individual work at their desks.)

Discussion Questions

  • What are the two groups that letters belong to?
  • Can you name the vowels?
  • Can you name some consonants?

Skills Developed

  • Letter recognition
  • Categorization
  • Auditory comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Small Group Participation

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of these is a vowel?

Correct Answer: A

Question 2:

Which of these is NOT a vowel?

Correct Answer: B

Question 3:

Is the letter 'U' a vowel or a consonant?

Correct Answer: Vowel

Question 4:

Is the letter 'B' a vowel or a consonant?

Correct Answer: Consonant

Question 5:

How many vowels are there (A, E, I, O, U)?

Correct Answer: 5

Question 6:

What is the first vowel in the alphabet?

Correct Answer: A

Question 7:

Which group does the letter 'Z' belong to?

Correct Answer: Consonants

Question 8:

Which one of these words has a vowel in it?

Correct Answer: Cat

Question 9:

What is the last vowel that we learned about?

Correct Answer: U

Question 10:

In the alphabet, are there more vowels or more consonants?

Correct Answer: More Consonants

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The letters A, E, I, O, and U are called ______.

Correct Answer: vowels

Question 2:

B, C, and D are examples of ______.

Correct Answer: consonants

Question 3:

The alphabet has both vowels and ______.

Correct Answer: consonants

Question 4:

The letter 'A' is a ______.

Correct Answer: vowel

Question 5:

The letter 'F' is a ______.

Correct Answer: consonant

Question 6:

There are ______ vowels that we learned about.

Correct Answer: five

Question 7:

The alphabet starts with the letter 'A', which is a ______.

Correct Answer: vowel

Question 8:

The letter 'Y' can be a vowel ______.

Correct Answer: sometimes

Question 9:

If a letter is not a vowel, it is a ______.

Correct Answer: consonant

Question 10:

Letters are in two groups, vowels and ______.

Correct Answer: consonants

Educational Standards

K.2.PWS.1:Students will name all uppercase and lowercase letters. K.2.PWS.3:Students will produce the sounds for short and long vowels and the most common sound for consonants (e.g., a = /ă/ & /ā/, f = /f/, s = /s/, x = /ks/). K.4.R.1:Students will name and sort familiar objects into categories based on similarities and differences with prompting. K.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon discussion rules with prompting.

Teaching Materials

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