Free printable word families e phonics worksheets. Four practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, and rapid naming chart.
Grade: KPhase 1: FoundationsPattern: CVC word families: -et, -en, -ed
betgetjetletmetnetpetsetvetwetbenden
1 Decodable Reading Passage
A short, decodable story embedding word families e words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.
Ken and the Red Net
Skill: Word Families E • Sight Words: the, is, a, and, to, was, it, on, his, her
Coloring page included in PDF
Ken had a red net. He was trying to get a bug. He ran to the pond. Ken let the net dip in. But his pet, Max, fell in! Max got very wet.
Ken did not get a bug.
"You are too wet, Max," said Ken.
Ken set the red net down. He ran home and fed his pet. Then Ken and Max got in bed.
Cut out the word cards and sort them into the correct columns: -et / -en Family vs -ed Family.
-et / -en Family
-ed Family
bet
get
jet
let
met
net
pet
set
vet
wet
ben
den
hen
ken
men
pen
ten
bed
fed
red
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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 bet on get
a get in jet
the jet and let
a let with met
the met on net
a net in pet
the pet and set
a set with vet
the vet on wet
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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 — Word Families E
met
hen
met
ten
vet
met
hen
ten
vet
vet
bet
ten
bet
bet
hen
bet
Target words: bet, met, vet, hen, ten
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5 Word Search
Find and circle the word families e words hidden in the grid. Words go across, down, and diagonally — a fun way to reinforce word families e word recognition.
Word Families E Word Search
N
B
V
U
G
K
W
K
T
W
G
K
C
G
O
B
E
N
O
U
Q
I
R
L
E
T
M
S
F
I
O
P
E
T
E
T
N
E
V
H
D
N
V
E
V
T
E
S
T
X
E
J
E
T
H
E
T
G
Y
Y
N
F
V
P
P
Y
T
Z
F
N
S
E
T
B
P
B
N
W
K
T
Q
E
A
U
M
C
E
E
K
C
C
B
C
A
I
W
I
T
J
P
BENBETDENGETJETLETMETNETPETSETVETWET
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📖 Decodable Readers for Word Families E
Next step: once your child can sound out these words, have them read a matching decodable mini-book. Each Word Families E reader is a printable story + coloring page using only sounds they've learned.
Learning word families with the short 'e' sound, specifically -et, -en, and -ed, marks an important step in foundational phonics for kindergarteners. This phase builds on earlier sound recognition, moving into blending three-letter CVC words. The short 'e' sound, as in 'bed' or 'jet,' can be particularly tricky because it’s a quick, subtle sound, often confused with short 'i' (as in 'sit') or even short 'a' (as in 'bat'). Children might mispronounce 'men' as 'min' or 'met' as 'mat,' demonstrating the need for precise auditory discrimination. Focusing on the consistent vowel sound within these families helps solidify the understanding that only the initial consonant changes, making decoding predictable and reinforcing the short 'e' sound's distinct quality.
Our Printable Scholar worksheets provide targeted practice for these -et, -en, and -ed word families. Begin by reading the decodable passage "Pip Helps Dad Ben" together, emphasizing the target words like 'Ben,' 'hen,' 'red,' and 'bed.' Point out how the consistent middle and ending sounds make these words part of a family. Next, use the word sort activity to visually group words by their shared endings, helping children see the patterns in 'bet,' 'get,' and 'set.' Practice fluency with the phrasing cards, encouraging smooth reading of short phrases containing these CVC words. Finally, the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart helps build quick recognition of 'ten,' 'pen,' and 'fed,' boosting both speed and accuracy for these essential short 'e' words.
