It’s time for another set of of phonics readers! Today’s set features silent e.
(This post contains affiliate links.)
I’m sharing another set of phonics readers today – this time featuring the simple silent e words. I say “simple” because silent e has many roles. Besides its role of changing the short vowel to a long sound, we can also find silent e in words like have or chance. You can visit This Reading Mama if you’d like to teach the multiple roles of silent e.
Today, however, we’re keeping it simple. That’s because this is the first time I’ve worked with my early reader on reading long vowel words.
To introduce the concept of silent e – also known as “magic e,” “sneaky e,” or “bossy e” – I printed a simple word sort from This Reading Mama’s long a pack. My Four found and read the short vowel words; then I helped him find each word’s corresponding long vowel word.
I explained that the e sneaks up on the word to change the vowel’s sound.
Then I gave him some short vowel word cards and some silent e wands. In the above photo, he slid the silent e over the picture to change the word bit to bite.
Adding a silent e to change a short vowel word is a tricky new concept, and not one he caught on to right away. In fact, he grew tired of it quickly and was easily frustrated.
Our introductory activities told me that my Four really needs more practice with mixed short vowel activities… so I’ll be creating and sharing those soon! In the meantime, I’ll be completing my phonics reader collection for us to use in the future… and for you to use right now. 🙂
Each book starts the same. On the right is the first word your child needs to sound out with the silent e phonics pattern. There’s no picture clue so that your child will really need to think about the word pattern.
Turn the page, and you’ll see a picture and sentence with that word.
You’ll also find phonetic words from previous phonics readers mixed in (like the word fun).
“She” is a new sight word for this set of books.
“Eat” is also a new sight word. Annnnd…. I forgot to take a picture of the last page. Of course I’m writing this post when the kids are asleep and it’s too dark to take another picture. But you can get an idea of what the final page is like by looking at the open book in my very top image. It has one last picture and sentence, plus a page for reading all the silent e words in the book.
Since my Four isn’t ready to read silent e words, we read the books together. I read the new words (he chimed in when he could figure them out), and he read the words he knew under the pictures. You can see his little sister above the top of the book… sitting in her swing so she wouldn’t eat legos while we were reading. 🙂
I hope you enjoy these!
How to assemble:
- Print pages 2-33 front to back (page 1 is my Terms of Use). I like to use light cardstock to make the books durable.
- Separate the stack into each individual book. Each book consists of two pages front to back.
- Cut across the horizontal center of the pages.
- Insert the pages into each other, using the page numbers as a guide.
- Staple with a long arm stapler.
For a picture tutorial to help you put the books together, visit my post with set one.

Get your free phonics books!
CHECK OUT OUR POPULAR NO-PREP GAMES FOR K-2!

120 Print and Play Math & Literacy Games for K-2
$15.00
Grab this bundle of no-prep math and literacy games for fun skills practice. Kids won’t even know they’re learning, and they’ll beg to play again and again!