Shortly after students master the letters and sounds of the alphabet we teach that several letters actually make two sounds. The vowels (a, e, i, o and u) can make a short sound, as the sound /a/ in the word “cat”, or a long sound as in the word “train”. Before teaching the spelling patterns of the long vowels it is important that our young readers and writers hear the differences between the long and short vowels. Sorting activities are perfect for teaching this skill. My fabulous artist, Kyle, created these adorable puppies to emphasize the concept of short and long vowels. When you download this file you will receive the puppies along with 90 colorful picture cards for sorting. This