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  • Magic 'e' Skill Explainer

Quick Look: Teaching Magic 'e' (aka Silent 'e')

Video thumbnail for Quick Look: Teaching Magic 'e' (aka Silent 'e')
Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book
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Teacher: So when we see silent 'e' at the end of a word and he is one letter away from our vowel, he makes that vowel stand up tall, say its name. I like to make a rainbow. I'm going to remind myself that he is one letter away from the vowel. He's no longer short 'a'. He's long 'a'. Everybody tell me what does long 'a' say?

Students: /ă/

Teacher: Good job. All right, but it's not just with 'a'. I'm going to erase that. I'm going to show you. I'm going to do vowel 'i'. All right. When silent 'e' is one letter away from vowel 'i' he makes 'i' stand up to say his name. What does long 'i' say?

Students: /ī/

Teacher: Good job.

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and three anonymous donors.