Short E CVC Words for Kindergarten

Sounding out short e words together

Say the short e sound on its own first, like the e in pet or red, before putting it between two consonants. Words such as hen, pen and ten rhyme, which can make the ending easier to hear and repeat. Go slowly and let your child try blending the sounds before you step in to help.

Making short e words easier or harder

Start with words that use common letters, like pen, net and bed, before moving to ones with less common endings, like peg. The read or trace activity is gentler, while writing the word from the word box alone is more of a stretch. You can mix in a short e word family, such as the en in hen, ten and pen, once words feel steady.

Where to go after short e

Once short e words feel steady, move on to short i or short o words with the same maker for new practice. Mixing a few short a and short e words together can also show your child how different vowels change a word's sound. Our other free CVC worksheets cover every short vowel for kindergarten reading.