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Classroom · CVC words · CCSS RF.K.3b
CVC words worksheets
19 short e CVC words in 5 word families, with a free seven-page worksheet pack: meet the words, tap and blend with sound buttons, picture match, write the word, sort the families, read and trace, and an answer key.
Watch it solved
49 sec · with voice and captionsA pencil works one example of each activity, so you can see how the worksheet goes before you print it. Tap a step to jump to it. The rest of the sheet is left for your child to finish.
Read what the video says
- 0:00 Let's practice short e words, step by step.
- 0:03 Say each word, and listen for the middle sound. Bed, pen, hen. They all have the short e sound.
- 0:10 Touch each dot, and say each sound. Then blend the sounds, and write the word. Bed.
- 0:17 Draw a line from each picture to its word. The bed goes with the word bed.
- 0:22 Say the name of each picture, and write one letter in each box. B, e, d. Bed.
- 0:29 Read each word in the word bank, and write it under its ending. Net rhymes with jet, so it goes in that column.
- 0:37 Read each word aloud, then trace it.
- 0:42 Great job! Now print the free worksheet, and finish the rest on your own.
The picture words
- bed
- pen
- hen
- net
- jet
- ten
- web
- leg
Short e word families
-en word family
hen, pen, ten, den, men
-et word family
net, jet, pet, wet, vet, set
-ed word family
bed, red, fed, led
-eg word family
leg, peg, beg
-eb word family
web
What the worksheets look like
Teaching short e
Teaching short eShort e is the sound at the start of egg. The mouth is a little less open than for short a, and the lips relax. Practice it beside short i, because those two are the pair children mix up most.
Watch for: Reading short e as short i (bed as "bid"). Say the two sounds side by side and have the child feel the jaw drop slightly for e.
Common questions
What are short e CVC words?
Three-letter words with a consonant, then the short e vowel, then a consonant, such as bed, pen, hen, net. The vowel makes its short sound, as at the start of "egg".
How do I teach short e CVC words?
Short e is the sound at the start of egg. The mouth is a little less open than for short a, and the lips relax. Practice it beside short i, because those two are the pair children mix up most.
What mistake should I watch for?
Reading short e as short i (bed as "bid"). Say the two sounds side by side and have the child feel the jaw drop slightly for e.
Can I copy these worksheets for my class?
Yes. The PDF is free to print and photocopy for classroom and home use, in color or in the black-and-white ink saver. Please link to this page rather than re-uploading the file.
Mix all five vowels
Mix all five vowelsMissing-vowel pictures, a vowel sort, an answer key and a CVC Word Champion certificate.
