Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 23

Magic "e" Rule

Subject: English | Class: Prep | Series: Skillford

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Overview

In this lesson children learn the Magic "e" Rule. When one consonant sits between a vowel and a final "e", the vowel says its own name and the "e" says nothing at all. Children read pairs such as pin and pine, then name pictures and fill in the missing vowel and silent "e".

Learning Objectives

• Say the rule: the vowel says its own name and the final "e" is silent
• Read pairs of words and hear the vowel change (pin, pine / cak, cake)
• Add a silent "e" to a word to make a new word
• Fill in the missing vowel and silent "e" for each picture

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Day 1: Adding the Magic "e" (35 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 38, word cards (pin, pine, cap, cape), a small "e" card

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Say "a, e, i, o, u" and ask children to say the vowel names loudly, then softly

Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Read the rule: "When one consonant sits between a vowel and a final 'e', the vowel says its own name and the 'e' says nothing at all."
• Read the instruction: "Read each pair aloud and listen to the vowel change."
• Read the pairs on page 38 together. Hold up the "e" card each time you add it:
  • pin + e = pine
  • cak + e = cake
  • bit + e = bite
  • hat + e = hate
  • mak + e = make
  • not + e = note
  • tub + e = tube
  • mat + e = mate
• Ask: "Which letter did we add? Can you hear it?" (We can see the "e" but we cannot hear it.)

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Children stand up when they hear the vowel say its name: hat, hate, tub, tube, bit, bite

Differentiation

• Support: Practise only two pairs at a time (pin, pine and hat, hate)
• Extension: Children say what happens to the sound of "a" when "e" is added to mat

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Day 2: Activity Time (35 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 38, pencils, a mixed set of cards: pin, pine, cap, cape

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Teacher says a short word (pin) and children say the magic "e" word (pine)

Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Read the instruction: "All of the pictures below represent words that have a silent 'e'. Fill in the missing vowel and silent 'e' for each word."
• Say the name of each picture, then write the word together:
  1. cake
  2. pie
  3. skate
  4. stove
  5. shoes
  6. plane
  7. kite
  8. lime
• Read each finished word aloud and listen for the vowel saying its name
• Teacher's Note activity: mix the short vowel cards with their magic "e" partners and let children sort them into two piles. Read each pair straight through, one after the other, so children hear what the "e" does from the back of the word.

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Each child picks a pair from the piles and reads both words to a partner

Differentiation

• Support: Say each picture name slowly and let children say the vowel before writing
• Extension: Children read all eight words without help and think of one more pair (for example cap and cape)

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Teaching Tips

• Always read the short word first, then the magic "e" word, so children hear the change
• Say "the vowel says its own name" every time
• Let children cover the final "e" with a finger and read the word again