< Words for Kids

R Words for Kids

Take a look at our assortment of R words for kids below, which can be incorporated into vocabulary lessons. We’ve also provided some fun text ideas that you can use by copying and pasting into your lesson materials.

Ready for Raleigh! In this series, our alphabet friends, A through Z, become tourists in America’s cities. At each of their stops, letters dig into their supplies in order to learn a new word study skill or vocabulary term. 

R has packed its rolling suitcase for Raleigh, NC! During R’s trip, R is excited to learn about different syllable features and patterns with the help of some wonderful word lists in R‘s rolling suitcase. R is looking forward to exploring R, reviewing technology words that begin with “R”, and learning all about communication words, like emotions, traits, and other words that start with the letter “R”. 

Tip: Best educational practices related to word study include: read-alouds, discussion, and writing. It is important to build rich connections between readers and the vocabulary words they learn. For instance, discuss sample sentences and make other personal associations to bolster recall, decoding, and encoding. As always, remember that some words may require frontloading and framing depending on the learner’s age, background, and needs. Helpful reminders for readers: A vowel is a speech sound produced by letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. A consonant is a speech sound produced by all of the other letters in the alphabet. 

CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) Words: R races into Raleigh history with its rolling suitcase. The Raleigh City Museum allows R to discover its vibrant past. Raleigh is often referred to as the “Smithsonian of the South,” which tells R that Raleigh is a place that appreciates history! R zips open its rolling suitcase to review the first word list about CVC words. CVC words have a specific order: one consonant, followed by a vowel, followed by another consonant. Examples of CVC words include “cat,” “sit,” and “fun.” Below is a short list of consonant-vowel-consonant words.

ragribrobrugred
ramridrodrutran
ratriprotrunrim

Closed Syllables: R rolls into the Marbles Kids Museum, a place where imagination knows no bounds! R explores interactive exhibits, engages in creative activities, and enjoys many hands-on learning experiences. It’s a place that makes reading a truly joyful adventure– this prompts R to look at its next list! This list is all about closed syllables. When the vowel of a syllable is short, the syllable is closed off by one or more consonants. Examples of closed syllable words include “hat,” “pin,” and “dotted.”

rabbitriddenriddlerubrugged
racketriggedrhythmribbedrun
raggedredrocketrippedrunning
ribbonreportrottenrobberrustic

Open Syllables: R opens up at Pullen Park! At the park, there are thrilling rides, an expansive playground, and a historic carousel. After a few rides on the carousel, R hops off its carousel horse and looks at the next list in its rolling suitcase: open syllables! Open syllables have avowel sound that is long and ends with a vowel. Because there is no consonant after the vowel in the syllable, the vowel is able to make the long sound, which sounds exactly like the name of the letter that makes the sound in that syllable. Examples of open syllable words include “no,” “me,” and “hi.” The “o” in “no” sounds just like how “o” is identified by name. The “i” in “hi” sounds just like how “i” is identified by name.

remakerilerodeorollerrate
regardrideregalroperote
relayrhymerageroderogue
returnrimerakeracerobot

Silent Vowel Pairs (or Teams): R starts to feel very, very hungry after all the fun and runs over to the City Market. R savors the flavors of Raleigh’s cuisine, from Southern delights to international eats. Rad! R finds a nice quiet spot to enjoy a sandwich and reviews the next list from its rolling suitcase. Silent vowel pairs have two vowels together: one of them stays silent. Examples of silent vowel pair words include “boat,” “rain,” and “suit.” Even though the vowels are a pair or team, the first vowel to appear in the pair makes the sound. Below is a list of words that begin with “r” that have a silent vowel pair.

rainrainbowroadruinreaper
raisereachroachroarreceiver
raisinrealroamrearreel

R-Controlled Vowels: R feels compelled to race about and run around in the wilderness, so it escapes into nature at Raleigh’s Umstead State Park. Right on, R! This list is all about “R” and how it can be a bossy letter. R says, “Rrrrr— I’m a little embarrassed by this list.” R-controlled vowels happen when a vowel is controlled by the letter “r.” Examples of r-controlled vowels include “car,” “bird,” and “fern.” R reviews the list below:

rarerrouterreaderreportretort
racerreturnrealtorraiderreverberation
riverrulerreaperroared
rollerratherrerunrace-car

Final Stable Syllables: R is ready to unleash its inner artist at the North Carolina Museum of Art. R enjoys the many exhibits, colors, and mediums that fill its heart with wonder. R enjoys a little espresso at the museum cafe and reads the next list from its rolling suitcase. This one is all about final stable syllables! Final stable syllables are found in the final (last or lattermost) position of words. These syllables contain a consonant and one of the following vowel endings: -ble, -cle, -dle, -fle, -gle, -kle, -ple, -sle, -tle, -zle, -tion, -sion, -ture, -cian, -cious, and -tious. They are called “stable” because the pronunciation of each is reliable and predictable (always the same). Here’s the list that R reads:

remarkablerestitutionripplerumblerustle
reductionriddleretributionreadablereaction
rattlerufflerafflerupturerechargeable
reusablerabblerapturerasslerubble

“R” in Animals: R rolls along to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences– a place for wild adventure! R encounters incredible animals and learns about the wonders of the natural world. From dinosaurs to scaled and fuzzy animals, it’s an educational and exciting experience! Explore animals from all over the globe whose names start with the letter “r.”

rabbitreindeerrobinrottweilerraven
raccoonrhinocerosroosterratram

“R” in Technology: While visiting Raleigh, R decides to check out the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. R rolls around in the bustling terminals, watches planes take flight and descend, and enjoys the wonders of flight and air travel. R enjoys its next reading list about technology. Let’s look at the list from R’s rolling suitcase:

radarremoteresponsiveringtonerobotics
rebootresizableretweetrobotrouter

“R” in Communication: R cannot leave Raleigh without visiting the iconic North Carolina State Capitol. R can learn about the government and the state’s history. Really nice work, R! To conclude the day, R enjoys some words about communication. Here are some “r” nouns, adjectives, and verbs that readers and communicators should become familiar with.

radiatereconnectreliableresourcefulriddle
rapportreflectiveremarkablerespectfulroam
reassurerejoicerendezvousresponsiveroleplay
receptiverelateresilientrevealroundtable
reciprocalrelationshipresolverhetoricrumor
recitereliabilityresonaterhythm