R-Controlled Worksheet — IR (Free PDF)

IR words — bird, shirt, skirt — the spelling of the /ur/ sound children most often have to memorize.

What’s inside

• An instructions page.
• One practice page: b-ird, b-irth, ch-irp, s-ir, sk-irt, sm-irk and more, with the note that the sound matches er and ur — visual memory decides the spelling.

Every word in this PDF (16)

Handy for checking the list fits your child before printing, or for making your own games.

bird, sir, birth, skirt, chirp, smirk, dirt, firm, stir, third, gird, girl, twirl, girth, whirl, shirt

How to use it

1. Blend and write each word.
2. Make a "bird" picture card as the anchor word for ir.
3. When spelling, ask "which spelling does this word use?" rather than sounding it out.
4. Use the bossy-R sort afterward to mix er, ir and ur.

Watch out for

• Ir has no rule that predicts it — bird, girl and shirt just have to be remembered.
• Bird works well as an anchor word: a picture card by the reading spot helps.
• Children often write ur for ir words; that's a spelling slip, not a reading problem.

Who it’s for

Ages 6–7, after ur and er.

Where it fits: Stage 5 — Vowel Teams & Tricky Words

Goes well with

• R-Controlled Vowels (Free PDF): ar, er, ir, or, ur
• The Bossy-R Sort: er, ir, ur