Visual Representations for Vowel Teams

I can't believe July is almost upon us and I am not quite sure I have done a lot of relaxing this summer.  Don't get me wrong...I have enjoyed the amusement park, pool, some hiking, and Lego building with my girls.  But there has also been reading, book studies, and research.

As I have shared this summer, the teachers in my school have been reading "Reading Reflex."

 As I finished up the last chapter, I reflected on a few descriptions that the authors made that I thought seemed helpful.  I typed them up for me to use this year.

 I like this explanation because it can be hard for some students to understand that one vowel team can represent more than one sound.  But as the authors explain, it is not hard for children to understand that the shape above could be a circle or a ball.

I really like this second visual.  Students can understand that two flowers can look different but they are still both flowers.  Two vowel patterns can look different but they can make the same sound.

This may not make sense for every student but it may help a few understand these concepts that can sometimes be a challenge.

What do you think?  Do you think this would help our young students?