Help teaching silent 'e' words

[Amber in AUS]

So far we have encountered silent 'e' words where the 'e' is a 'helper' it makes the vowel say its name. Today we came across -
have
live
above
some

Where the vowel doesn't say it's name. DD asks why put the 'e' on the end it isn't helping? She appeared a little frustrated by it. So do i need to teach exceptions now? What other words fall into the truly silent 'e' category?

LA isn't my strong suit so i could do with a little help on this one or at least an explanation i can give DD, i think that would satisfy her.

[CookieMonster]

In my reading curriculum, have is taught as a sight word during silent "e" instruction. I just taught it as "this one doesn't follow the rule!"

Live and live are also taught in a lesson, shortly after silent "e" sounds are introduced. After being introduced to the idea that this word can be pronounced two ways, the students are given sentences with the word and encouraged to try both ways of pronouncing it to see which makes sense in the sentence.

The other words we have not encountered yet.

The silent "e" helper rule is not universal, hands down, easy street. With words like you mentioned, that might be confusing to my son, I've been more helpful than usual - reminding him that it's a sight word, giving him the word if we are currently doing something else in a lesson, and reviewing more. The nice, tidy, neat rules tend to unravel a bit past this point in English phonics. But, repetition, consistency, and exposure usually help a bit over the hump.

Hope that helps.

[keptwoman]

English words don't end with V or U. That's why there is a silent e on the first 3 words.
(Thank you SWR for cementing my understanding of the rules!!)

I'm not so sure about some (and also of course "come") except that of course the word would sound different as som and com. The e doesn't make the vowel say it's name but it certainly changes the sound.

[ACinGA]

The SWR explanation is that English words can't end in 'V' so they are added to words like live (short i), have, and above to 'hold up the v." 'Some' has an odd job 'e' because there is no rule for it being there. According to SWR, 'some' is one of those peculiar English words that is Anglo Saxon in origin, but was affected by Norman pronunciation and spelling.

-Amber

[stephanie]

Great explanations, girls! But getting your dc to understand that can be tough!:D For my dc I tell them that some words don't follow the rules so they need to go in jail. Which I have an index box for which is labeled, "jail". We take those out and review them. I know I didn't really answer your question, but this is what I do for my dd7 to help her remember until she can fully understand. When we get to one of those words I say, "How did that word escape from jail?" That serves as a reminder to her!

[ElizabethB]

If you don't know, just explain that it's an exception, for example, for some, say "it would normally say long o, but in this word it says uh." Many a's and o's have the uh sound in long words, but there is a specific reason for the e in some, although it is a bit much to teach a K student. I explained to my daughter this year, but not last, the reason for words like some and come. I explain to K students about the v, I tell them the real reason, then I like to tell them the stupid phonics joke I read somewhere that the e is to keep the v from falling over. If you have magnetic letters and show a v falling over they think that's hilarious.

Above and love and some fall into the reason below.

Live and give and have fall into the don't end in v reason.

From my sight word page:

Hanna, Paul R, Richard E. Hodges, and Jean S. Hanna, "Spelling: Structure and Strategies," 1971. p.44: " During the Middle English period, a certain type of angular writing was in vogue which resulted in some ambiguity for the reader when u was followed by an m, n, or u (sometimes written v or w.) Consequently, scribes replaced the u with o, and that spelling is retained in some words used today, e.g. come, monk, love, tongue, some, honey, son.

(The Hanna book is great if you're interested in the history of spelling and ideas about how to teach spelling. It's OOP, but you can find copies. The Hanna authors of this book are the same people who did the study of the most common 17,000 words in English the formed the basis of "The ABC's and All Their Tricks," so they really know what they're talking about when it comes to the English language.)

This year, I wrote "luv" and "cum" and "huney" really sloppily in cursive like print (we haven't done cursive yet. I am interested in Don Potter's Cursive First idea, but my daughter was so young when she learned to write that all we could manage was uppercase print) then changed the u's to o's to show why they had to make the o's u's. That was also deemed very funny.

[MerryAtHope]

E has several jobs--one of which is making vowels long. Others:

To make c and g soft (as do i & y)
To keep u and v from being the last letter in a word (I used to tell my kids that the e keeps the v from tipping over, they like that, LOL!)
To put a vowel in consonant-le syllables
To keep a singular word from ending in s (also z)

Lesser uses:
To distinguish bt. 2 words like or and ore
In some foreign words where the e used to be voiced

The problem with some, come, love, oven etc... is not the e's fault :-). Here, the long 0 is indicated by the spelling, but o takes on one of its alternate sounds, like short u. The ABC's and All Their Tricks says 139 words follow this pattern. Sometimes short o is indicated like in words like ton, won, son... so there doesn't necessarily have to be an e involved to make o take on this alternate sound.

Tough language at times! Merry :-)

[TracyR]

For us I just teach them as sight words because they just don't follow the rules. It can be confusing to them at first and time is the only thing on your side. Constant practice with reading will cement it in eventually.

p.s. I like the jail thing :>)

[4kidsandcounting]

Well, I have (E here is the supporter E b/c english words do not end in v or u) been so pleased with SWR. There are 5 silent E's.

#1 is the strong man E, "The vowel sound changes b/c of the E",

#2 is the supporter E "English words do not end in v and u"

#3 is the softening E "the c says /s/ and the g says /j/ b/c of the E"

#4 is the sidekick E "Every syllable must have a vowel" (this is perfect for little, battle, etc)

#5 E is the odd job E, "A silent final E hat does any odd job not covered by the other 4". (dense, awe, ore, giraffe).

SWR has 5 4x5 flashcards for the silent final E's with cute illustrations. The flashcards in this program are awesome!

Hope that helps!

[Testimony]

English words don't end with V or U. That's why there is a silent e on the first 3 words.


My children were taught that no English words end with v, u, or m. That was in my children's phonics program.

She also told this story that my son just reminded me about.

In the "love," the letter "e" always gives strength to its words, but in "love" the letter "e" was angry with the letter "o". So, "e" pnched "o" in the stomach and caused "o" to make the "uh" sound. So, in the words, love, dove, glove, above, they make the "uh" sound. You will notice the same sound though in: some and come.

I know it is a silly story, but my son learned it when he was 4 years old. He is now 11 years old and still remembers this story.

Try ABCs and All Their Tricks. That is a great ABC book of facts about what letters do.
However, I want to know about the letter "w." Why is it when it is next to a vowel it seems to change its sound? Like words: wolf, was, what.

Blessings in your homeschooling journey.

Sincerely,
Karen
www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Amber in AUS]

Thanks so much for explaining this better ladies at least i have something to tell her now. She will be pleased.

Does the ABC's and all their Tricks have all of these rules? I just this morning got the Writing Road to Reading from the library i am hoping they will have a list of rules i can photocopy and keep handy for such emergencies.

The only spelling rule i ever learned was 'i before e except after c' no wonder i am such a poor speller and generally find LA tough!