CVC vs CVCe Sort
Sort words by short vs. long vowel pattern.
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0/16 sorted
How to run it
Sort them in pairs rather than one at a time. Put cap and cape next to each other, say both, and ask what changed — the answer, that an e at the end changes the vowel in the middle, is the entire lesson. Once the pairs are sorted, cover the words and say one aloud, asking the student which of the two it was, which turns a visual task into a listening one. Ten minutes covers all sixteen.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentShow the card and wait 3 seconds for the student to read it.Log as correct
- Point to itPoint to the letter pattern that matters, or tap under each sound.Log as cued
- Sound it outSay the first sound together, then let the student blend the rest.Log as cued
- ModelRead it, tapping each sound; the student reads it after you.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer cards and start with the patterns the student already reads.
Read the words in a sentence, or spell them from dictation.
Matching IEP goal
Given decodable word cards, Student will read the target pattern accurately in 8 of 10 words across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Sixteen words sorted by vowel sound, and every one has a partner: cap and cape, tap and tape, kit and kite, hop and hope, cub and cube, pin and pine, not and note, man and mane. The pairs are the design — one silent letter changes the vowel and the whole word, and seeing them side by side is what makes the rule land.
What to listen for
Watch for the e being pronounced. A student who reads cape as cap-ee has the letter and not the rule, which is a specific and common error. Notice whether the student can go from sound to spelling as well as spelling to sound — hearing kite and knowing it needs a final e is the harder direction and the one that shows up in writing.
Carrying it home
Minimal pairs make a good game because the difference is funny. Ask what happens if you add an e to hop, and let the child hear hope appear. Tap and tape, cub and cube work the same way, and the surprise is what makes the rule stick.
What's in this activity
- short vowel
- long vowel
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through third, as core phonics work on vowel patterns.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all sixteen words play with no account.
- Is the 'silent e' rule reliable?
- For these words, yes, and it covers a very large number of common words. There are exceptions — have, give, come — which are worth teaching separately rather than letting them undermine the pattern.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.