Use the “B-I-N-G-O” tune to teach preschoolers long and short vowels. Change the beginning words of the song to: “There are five vowels that we should learn, and this is what their names are.” Instead of singing "B-I-N-G-O" three times, sing "A, E, I, O, U" three times. End the verse with “and there is sometimes Y.” Sing the song first with the long vowel sounds. Once the students learn the sounds of the long vowels, sing the song with short vowels.
Split the class into five groups and assign each group with a long vowel sound. Instruct each group to search the classroom for objects whose names contain the group’s long vowel sound. Allow the students approximately five minutes to locate objects. Gather the class together and have each group share its finding with the class.
Use a memory game to teach student the vowels. Take card stock paper and cut it into identical squares. Label one side of each square with a vowel, making several sets. Place the cards face down on a clear and flat surface and mix them up. Arrange the cards into several rows on the table. Have each student take a turn flipping the cards over, two at a time, while trying to make a match. Whenever a student makes a match, instruct the student to say the long and short version of the vowel they matched. The student with the highest amount of pairs wins the game.
Play the vowel hopscotch game with the class to help students recognize vowel sounds. Create a list of words that contain long vowels. Draw a hopscotch game on a paved area with either chalk or masking tape. Label each hopscotch box with a long vowel sound spelling. Read words from the long vowel list aloud and instruct each student to hop on the hopscotch box that contains the corresponding long vowel.