A free 3-minute check that shows where the trouble with long vowels starts
A child can be stuck on silent e (cake, hope), on two vowels together (rain, boat), or one step earlier, on short words. Each one needs a different start. Do this check together. It takes about three minutes.
Already sure this is the problem? Skip the check and see the 10-day plan: Cap to Cape
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Show your child this screen. They read each word. Tap each word your child reads correctly, however slowly.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly. If cake is read with the short sound, it is not correct.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly.
When your child meets a word like cake, what happens most often?
In short words, every letter makes its sound, from left to right: c, a, p. A silent e is the first thing that breaks that rule. It sits at the end, it makes no sound, and it changes the sound of the vowel in the middle. So a child who reads letter by letter says cap for cape. It is common, and it is usually taught in first grade.
It is not a diagnosis, and it is not a test for dyslexia. Trouble with silent e on its own does not mean a child has dyslexia. If your child is seven or older, or finds reading very hard in other ways too, tell their teacher what you saw and ask what the school has noticed.
More help: Why can’t my child blend sounds? A free check · Why does my child guess words when reading? A free check · Make a free silent e worksheet
