Parent guide · Grade 1 Phonics & Reading: Long Vowels and Many Words · Unit 2
Lesson 2.3 Silent e: u_e and e_e
Written for the parent. Read the Say this lines aloud as they are, or in your own words. Answers for you are marked Listen for.
At a glance
- Time
- 5 sessions of 15–20 minutes
- Goal
- I can say /ū/ or /oo/ when I see u_e (as in cube, flute ), and write it. I can say /ē/ when I see e_e (as in these ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as cube , tube , dune . I can read the heart words both , most and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “These Are the Rules” and tell it back.
- You need
- Blocks or cubes
- Sound cards (printables pack)
- Heart-word cards (printables pack)
- Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
- A King James Bible
- the lesson page (it also has an explainer to read aloud (about 12 minutes))
Steps
Do this: cub/cube, tub/tube, us/use, pet/Pete. Which have silent e?
Do this: New sound: u_e. Show the card and say: “This says /ū/ or /oo/, as in cube, flute.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ū/ or /oo/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: e_e. Show the card and say: “This says /ē/, as in these.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ē/ is in the word.
Do this: Tap and blend. For each word your child touches each letter (or letter team) and says its sound, then sweeps a finger under the whole word and says it smoothly. Never guess from the first letter or a picture. If a word is misread, point to the part that was missed and blend again from the start.
Do this: Spell it. Say a word. Your child says it back, taps the sounds on his or her fingers, then writes one letter (or letter team) for each sound. Check together, sound by sound.
Do this: Heart words. A heart word is mostly regular. We tap it like any other word, and draw a heart over the one part that does not follow the rules we know yet. Practise the heart words on cards every day this week (see the table below).
Do this: The week at a glance. Day 1: warm-up, new sound, handwriting. Day 2: card review, word lists, spelling. Day 3: second new sound or more words, heart words. Day 4: read the story, talk about it. Day 5: reread the story for fluency, play the game, quick check (10 words, 1 sentence, 5 spelling words). Read the read-aloud at another time of day.
New cards:
- u_e says /ū/ or /oo/, as in cube, flute. Make a sound card: write u_e on the front and draw a cube on the back.
- e_e says /ē/, as in these. Make a sound card: write e_e on the front and draw a these on the back.
Show: Blend cube.
Say this: “Touch and say: /c/ /u_e/ /b/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: cube . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: cube
Show: Blend tube.
Say this: “Touch and say: /t/ /u_e/ /b/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: tube . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: tube
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: cube · tube · dune · use
Listen for: cube = c | u_e | b; tube = t | u_e | b; dune = d | u_e | n; use = u_e | s
Ask: Read: rule · mule · flute · June
Listen for: rule = r | u_e | l; mule = m | u_e | l; flute = f | l | u_e | t; June = j | u_e | n
Ask: Read: these · Pete · theme · cute
Listen for: these = th | e_e | s; Pete = p | e_e | t; theme = th | e_e | m; cute = c | u_e | t
4 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Saying the silent e. It makes no sound of its own; it tells the vowel to say its name.
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
- Copy: Love God. Love your mom and dad.
- Use the ball-and-stick lines: tall letters touch the top line, short letters touch the middle line, tails go below the base line.
Copywork: Write each word once, saying the sounds as you write: cube, tube, dune, use, rule, mule.
Word Sounds Heart part both /b/ /ō/ /th/ ♥ o says its name most /m/ /ō/ /s/ /t/ ♥ o says its name These Are the Rules
Moses went up a big hill. There was smoke, and a big flash, and a big bang. God was on the hill.
God gave Moses ten rules on two stone slabs. Here are some of them:
Love God and no other god. Do not make a god of stone. Take a rest one time in seven. Love your mom and dad. Do not kill. Do not rob. Do not tell fibs.
These rules are a gift. They help us love God and love the ones next to us. Jesus kept them all for us.
Retold from Exodus 19–20. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Moses, God, gave, commandments.
Every word in this story uses only the sounds and heart words taught so far (checked by the School Launch decodability checker). Read a page a day on Days 3 and 4, and the whole story on Day 5.
- Where did God give the rules?
Answer
On a huge mountain (Mount Sinai).
- What were the rules written on?
Answer
Two stone tablets.
- Say three of the rules.
Answer
Any three of those listed.
- Who kept every rule perfectly?
Answer
Jesus.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Where did God give the rules?
Exodus 20:1–17. Read the Ten Commandments aloud. Learn them with fingers: one rule per finger.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Hold up a finger for each commandment you can say. Read the word cards cube, rule, these, use between each one.
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /ū/ or /oo/ when I see u_e (as in cube, flute ), and write it.; I can say /ē/ when I see e_e (as in these ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as cube , tube , dune .; I can read the heart words both , most and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “These Are the Rules” and tell it back.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This week: Big voice. Speak so a person at the back of the room hears every word. Big, not shouting: fill the room, do not scream.
- Day 1: The teacher says it twice; the child echoes it one line at a time.
- Days 2–4: Say it together each morning; drop one line of help each day.
- Day 5: Say the reference, then the verse, then the reference again. Stand up and say it alone for the family.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
The fifth commandment, the first with a promise.
Spread over the week
5 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.
- Session 1. Warm-up, then teach the new idea (steps 1 and 2).
- Session 2. Warm-up again, then show how with the examples.
- Session 3. Practice together, then play the game.
- Session 4. More practice, handwriting and reading, and the daily habit.
- Session 5. Quick check: narration and a few practice items. Move on when it is mostly right.
For you
For families. Keep each session short and cheerful: 15 to 20 minutes, then stop. If your child is tired or frustrated, stop and finish tomorrow. A lesson can take more than a week; move on when the quick check on Day 5 is mostly “Got it.”