Free printable silent e — long i phonics worksheets. Four practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, and rapid naming chart.
Grade: 1stPhase 3: Long Vowels & Silent EPattern: i_e (magic e / silent e making long I)
bikehikelikekitebitehideridesidewidelineminepine
1 Decodable Reading Passage
A short, decodable story embedding silent e — long i words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.
Mike's Hidden Bike
Skill: Silent E — Long I • Sight Words: the, is, a, and, to, was, it, she, he, they, said, have
Coloring page included in PDF
Mike had a nice new bike. He wanted to take his kite for a ride to the side of the wide lake. It was time to go! But Mike did not see his bike by the shed. A big green vine was all over it. The vine hid his bike. “My bike!” Mike said. He gave the vine a little tug. It was stuck fast. Mike gave it a wide pull with his whole self. Rip! The vine split. Mike gave a wide grin. He got his bike and his kite. “It is time to ride,” he said.
Circle or highlight all the silent E words where the vowel says its name (long sound). How many did you find?
Cut out the word cards and sort them into the correct columns: Real Words vs Nonsense Words.
Real Words
Nonsense Words
bike
hike
like
kite
bite
hide
ride
side
wide
line
smile
mibe
tine
pive
fibe
dife
gipe
nive
rike
zine
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3 Phrasing Practice Cards
Practice reading these phrases for fluency. Cut out the cards and read them quickly and smoothly.
the bike on hike
a hike in like
the like and kite
a kite with bite
the bite on hide
a hide in ride
the ride and side
a side with wide
the wide on line
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4 RAN Chart (Rapid Naming)
Read each word in the grid as quickly as you can. Time yourself and try to beat your best time!
Decodable RAN Chart — Silent E — Long I
time
vine
bike
vine
wide
vine
bike
bike
time
bite
wide
bite
time
wide
bike
bite
Target words: bike, bite, wide, vine, time
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5 Word Search
Find and circle the silent e — long i words hidden in the grid. Words go across, down, and diagonally — a fun way to reinforce silent e — long i word recognition.
Silent E — Long I Word Search
B
B
R
Y
I
S
S
F
K
N
F
T
I
G
L
R
W
F
I
E
E
Q
D
K
D
I
B
I
T
E
A
H
E
S
E
K
K
E
E
M
N
L
I
X
W
I
D
E
E
I
S
I
H
D
I
S
P
X
W
N
J
N
F
I
E
Q
S
N
R
E
X
E
Q
W
K
P
Y
U
Q
N
S
I
D
E
P
E
W
T
Q
K
P
I
N
E
N
P
P
L
U
B
BIKEBITEHIDEHIKEKITELIKELINEMINEPINERIDESIDEWIDE
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📖 Decodable Readers for Silent E — Long I
Next step: once your child can sound out these words, have them read a matching decodable mini-book. Each Silent E — Long I reader is a printable story + coloring page using only sounds they've learned.
The long I sound, as heard in words like "bike" or "time," presents a crucial step in early phonics, often introduced after short vowels and consonant digraphs. This specific pattern, i_e, where a silent 'e' at the end of a word changes a short 'i' to a long 'i', can be particularly challenging for young learners. Children frequently misread "bike" as "bik" or "bite" as "bit," overlooking the transformative power of the silent 'e'. They may also struggle with knowing when to apply the long I rule versus a short I, especially when encountering new words. The visual cue of the 'e' at the end, despite not making its own sound, requires careful attention and consistent practice to master.
Our Printable Scholar worksheets provide focused practice for the i_e long I pattern. Begin with the decodable passage from "Mike's Hidden Bike," encouraging children to identify and sound out words like "ride," "hide," and "mine." Follow up with the word sort, where students categorize words into long I (i_e) and other patterns, reinforcing the visual recognition of the silent 'e'. The phrasing cards help build fluency by grouping target words like "five bikes" or "wide smile," promoting natural reading rhythm. Finally, utilize the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart to build speed and automaticity, quickly identifying words such as "kite," "dive," and "line," solidifying their understanding of this important phonics rule.
