Lesson Plan: The Silent E - Grade Level 1-2

This following lesson is a language arts lesson that can be used in 1st or 2nd grade depending on the level of your students. After this lesson, your students should be able to recognize words where you do not pronounce the letter “e”, understand that they will only pronounce the words that comes before the silent “e”, and recognize simple words that end in “e” and pronounce them correctly. This is a key phonics rule that will help your child or students learn to read. Download the lesson plan PDF to the right.

Concepts to be taught: The silent "e" and how it affects the pronunciation of a word.

Objectives:
1) Students will learn that when they see a word with a silent "e", they don't pronounce the "e".
2) Students will understand that they only pronounce the word before the silent "e".
3) Students will be able to recognize simple words that end in silent "e" and spell and pronounce them correctly.

Materials needed:
1) Copy of the Silent "E" Song
2) Flash cards of simple silent "e" words that have been cut up so each letter is separate. Keep each set of letters that spells a silent "e" word separate from the others so they don't get mixed up.

Procedure:
1) Begin by telling the students that they are going to learn about a sneaky little guy named Silent "E" that shows up at the end of words sometimes and can make them hard to read.
2) Next, tell them that they are going to learn some rules that will help them to outsmart the Silent "E" and be able to read and spell some silent "e" words.
3) Briefly explain the silent "e" rules by SPEAKING the first two verses of the song--l) Don't say the "e" 2) Only say the word before
4) Write some examples of these types of words on the board. It might be a good idea to use the words from the song (bake, cake, stove) along with a few others.
5) Now teach them the song. At the end of verse one, where the song says..."the 'e' sounds like this...." put your fingers up to your lips in a gesture of silence. Be sure to pronounce the words in verse four WITH the e sound at the end so the students can hear that it is incorrect to say the silent "e".
6) Allow them to sing the song through several times until they get a feel for it.

Evaluation:
After singing the song several times, give each student a set of letters that spells a silent "e" word. Tell them it is a word puzzle and you want to see if they learned how to curs-art Silent "E". Tell them the word you want them to spell with the letters and then let them sort through their puzzle. When they have spelled their word, have them practice writing it and saying it. Then have them trade word puzzles a neighbor. Send a copy of the Silent "E" Song home with so they can practice with their mom or dad.

The Silent 'E' Song
Verse .l: When words end in silent "e", silent "e", silent "e". When words end in silent "e", the "e" sounds like this.(finger to lips)
Verse .2: Only say the word before, word before,
word before. Only say the word before, the word before the "e".
Verse .3: If you say the silent "e", silent "e", silent "e". If you say the silent "e", then you'll sound like this.....
Verse .4: Bakee a cakee in the stovee, in the stovee, in the stovee. Bakee a cakee in the stovee. Doesn't that sound weird?
Verse .5: Now don't say the silent "e", silent "e", silent "e". Now don't say the silent "e", then you'll sound like this.....
Verse .6: Bake a cake in the stove, in the stove, in the stove. Bake a cake in the stove, now doesn't that sound great?!!!!
Repeat.

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