Long Vowels Silent-e

Packet 9

About Identifying Long-Vowel Sounds (Silent-e) One common long-vowel

spelling is the silent-e pattern. At first, it is enough that the child recognizes the
long-vowel sound in a spoken word; later, children can learn to look for and decode
silent-e words. They can learn that a short-vowel sound can be changed to a longvowel sound by the addition of a silent-e (kit/kite, tap/tape).
The activities in this packet and the corresponding Reading Readiness software
activities focus on long-vowel sounds in silent-e words.

Packet 9 Objective: Identify long-vowel sounds in silent-e words and in picture names.

Class Activity: Long or Short

Materials: Word List (1 copy)
Outcome: Distinguish between long-vowel sounds and short-vowel sounds.
1. Review long and short a (i, o, u), using CVC words and silent-e words.
What letter makes the short-vowel sound in the word lap (sit, lot, put)?
What letter makes the long-vowel sound in the word lane (hike, tote, rude)?
Point out the fact that a long vowel says its name.
2. Explain that you will say some words (see Word List). Children should hold their hands
close together if the vowel is short and stretch their hands far apart if the vowel is long.
Then ask a volunteer to identify the vowel name.
3. Play again on another day, but this time write each word (CVC or silent-e).

Worksheet: Make a Long-Vowel Book

Materials: Make a Long-Vowel Book worksheet (1 per child), pencils, crayons, construction
paper (31/2-inch squares, assorted colors), stapler (for teacher use)
Outcome: Identify long-vowel sounds in silent-e words.
In the left column of the worksheet, children should draw pictures to go with the silent-e
words. In the right column, children should add the missing vowels to the picture names.
To assemble long-vowel books, have children cut on the heavy lines. Provide constructionpaper covers and let children decorate them as desired with vowels and pictures. Staple
each book together on the left side.

Extra Help: To better understand the effect of a silent e, have children cover the e and say
the short-vowel word, and then uncover the e and say the long-vowel word.
Going Further: Let children make additional pages for their long-vowel books by printing and
illustrating other silent-e words.

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Word List
Class Activity: Long or Short

Short-Vowel
CVC Words

Long-Vowel,
Silent-e Words

hat
bag
sad
nap
tan
has

cape
bake
gate
lane
wade
tame

lid
rib
dig
rim
tip
pit

lime
hide
kite
wife
nine
side

top
dot
rod
cot
dog
mob

code
note
robe
lone
hope
rose

bug
tug
rut
mud
hut
gum

cube
June
dude
cute
rude
tune

Vowel

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Make a Long-Vowel Book

Worksheet

Packet 9

pine

t__ pe

note

c__ be

cape

k__ te
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