FREE Diphthong Fluency Games

Grab a copy of these FREE Diphthong Fluency Games, a sample from the Diphthong Fluency Game Pack in my shop! FOUR free no prep games are included for these diphthongs: ou, ow, oi, oy, aw, and au.

Find more FREE Fluency Games.

*Click on the teal download button towards the END of this post to download these free blending fluency games.
**I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What is a Diphthong?

Diphthong is definitely a strange-sounding word, and it has an even stranger spelling! So, what exactly is a diphthong?

According to Moats in her book, Speech to Print, diphthongs are “vowels that glide in the middle.”

I think that’s a simple, yet accurate definition. With a diphthong, the mouth begins with one vowel sound and then “glides” into another vowel sound, like the oi in coin. If you say it out loud {and even watch yourself in a mirror}, you can feel {and see} how you glide from /o/ to /ee/.

Believe it or not, many vowels we classify as “long vowels” are actually diphthongs, such as the long a sound in way and the long i sound in light. If you sing those words, you’ll find that you glide from one vowel sound, even if slightly, into another. {Speaking of singing, country singers often glide from the first sound into the second sound of a diphthong quicker. This is part of what makes them sound “country.”}

With that understanding in the background, let’s move on to our fluency games!

Diphthong Fluency Games

Did you know that fluent reading is one of the key components to unlocking comprehension? It’s very true.

It can be very difficult for a young {or struggling} reader’s brain to unlock the meaning of the text if their brains must be so focused on what the letters or words are. If you play a musical instrument, you know that it’s a lot like asking a musician to sight read a piece for the first time AND include phrases and expression.

That’s why it’s important to develop reading fluency with re-readings. That’s where these NO PREP games can help!

These FREE diphthong games are different than your typical game board, though.

To play a typical game, learners roll a die, move their marker, then read just the one word they landed on. Not with these boards!

Instead, learners roll a die, move their marker, then read all the spaces from “Start” to the space they landed on. And if you feel your learners are up for a challenge, have them start on the space they landed on and read each word back to “Start.”

Did you notice the subtle difference? Because learners are reading the words repeatedly throughout the entire game, they are getting some good fluency practice in!

Note: Keep scrolling down for the free games or
purchase the entire printable & digital pack HERE.

Download the free games below:

Enjoy these free games with your learners!
~Becky

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