Silent E (a_e) Worksheets

Free printable silent e — long a phonics worksheets. Five practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, rapid naming chart, and word search.

Grade: 1st Phase 3: Long Vowels & Silent E Pattern: a_e (magic e / silent e making long A)
cake make bake lake take name game came made late gate date

1 Decodable Reader

A free illustrated mini-book for Silent E — Long A, plus the same story as a passage sheet for highlighting.

Kate's Cake mini-book cover
Free illustrated mini-book · Level 3

Kate's Cake

A full-color picture book your student reads on their own. Skill: Silent E — Long A. Print, cut and staple.

Kate's Cake, page 1Kate's Cake, page 2Kate's Cake, page 3Kate's Cake, page 4
Want the whole level? 44 Level 3 mini-books in one file, $14Every book stays free to print one at a time. See the pack →
Passage sheet: the same story on one page, for highlighting the target words

Kate had a plan. She wanted to make a cake for her pal, Jane. Kate got a pan and a box. Gus, her dog, wagged his spine. He sat and gave Kate a cute gaze.

Kate made the cake mix. Then she went to bake the cake. When it was done, the cake smelled so good! Gus stood up. He sniffed and sniffed.

“This cake is not for you, Gus,” Kate said. She had to keep the cake safe.

Kate let the cake sit. Then she put it in the big box and shut the lid. She wrote Jane’s name on it with a red pen. “Now I can take this to her,” Kate said. Gus just wagged his spine.

Circle or highlight all the silent E words where the A says its name (long A sound). How many did you find?
Silent e: a_e poster
Free color poster

Silent e: a_e

When a is followed by one consonant and an e, the a says its name and the e is silent.

Download poster (PDF)

Print it full size for the wall, or smaller for a phonics notebook.

See all 63 phonics rules posters →  ·  or get all 63 in one file for $7, with a notebook-size copy

2 Silent E — Long A Words

The words this story set practices, in the two groups used by the word sort.

Short A (CVC) (10)

cat, mat, bat, lap, tap, cap, nap, gap, can, wag

Long A (a_e) (10)

cake, make, bake, lake, tape, cape, name, game, cave, wave

Phrases to read
race to the lake · made a cake · Jake and Kate · gave her a cape · a safe cave · came to the gate · he was late · a name tag with tape · a brave wave
RAN chart words
cake, lake, make, gate, wave
Sight words
the, is, a, and, to, was, it, she, he, they, said, have

3 Silent E Long A Picture Worksheets

Silent e long a words to read, match and write, with pictures. Each PDF has its answer key on page 2.

Find the Word: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Find the Word

Look at each picture and circle the right word out of three.

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Circle the Picture: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Circle the Picture

Read a word, then circle its picture out of three.

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Which Sentence?: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Which Sentence?

Look at a picture and pick the sentence that matches it.

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Read and Fill In: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Read and Fill In

Read a short story, then fill in the missing words.

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Sound Boxes: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Sound Boxes

Say each picture and write its sounds in the boxes.

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Read and Match: a silent e long a picture worksheet

Read and Match

Read each word, then draw a line to its picture.

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Level 3 Word Work: Silent E pack cover

Level 3 Word Work pack: all 101 silent e worksheets in one file

The sheets above are free. The pack is every sheet for a_e, i_e, o_e and u_e, soft c and g, y as a vowel and the all, old and ind words in order, with all the answer keys, ready to print.

Get the pack for $7 See every kind of sheet

Teaching more than one level? All 6 levels, 600+ worksheets, for $19.

4 Story Worksheets

4 ready-to-print PDFs for this story's silent e — long a words. Each one opens as its own file.

Silent E — Long A word sort printable preview

Word Sort

Cut-apart word cards to sort: Short A (CVC) or Long A (a_e). Answer key on page 2.

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Silent E — Long A phrasing cards printable preview

Phrasing Cards

Short phrases to cut out and read smoothly, for fluency.

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Silent E — Long A word search printable preview

Word Search

Find 12 silent e — long a words in the grid. Answer key on page 2.

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Silent E — Long A ran chart printable preview

RAN Chart

A grid of five words to read fast, with room to record three timed tries.

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📖 More Silent E — Long A Stories

A new decodable story with the same silent e — long a sounds — each comes with its own set of worksheets.

← L-Blends Worksheets View All Phonics Skills Short E CVC Words →

Free Printable Silent E (a_e) Worksheets

The silent e pattern, specifically a_e, is a crucial step in first-grade phonics, marking the transition from short vowel sounds to long vowels. Young learners often find this pattern tricky because the 'e' at the end of words like "cake" or "make" doesn't make its own sound but dramatically changes the sound of the preceding 'a'. Without understanding this "magic e" influence, students might misread "cake" as "cak" or "made" as "mad," reverting to short vowel pronunciations. This can lead to frustration when encountering new words like "gate" or "tape," as the visual presence of the 'e' can be confusing if its function isn't explicitly taught as a vowel sound shifter. Mastering a_e is foundational for unlocking a vast array of new vocabulary. Our worksheets are designed to solidify understanding of the a_e pattern. Begin with the decodable passage, "Kate's Cake," encouraging students to identify and highlight all the a_e words they read. Follow this with the word sort, where children categorize words like "bake" and "lake," reinforcing the visual and auditory pattern. The phrasing cards help build fluency and comprehension by grouping a_e words into meaningful phrases. Finally, utilize the Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) chart to practice quick recognition of target words such as "name," "game," and "safe," building automaticity and confidence in reading words with the silent e long A sound. Consistent practice with these varied activities will ensure mastery.

For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.