Short e word families worksheets
Short e is the vowel children confuse most with short i, and word families are the fix: rhyme makes the sound unmistakable. First graders sort -et, -ell, and -est words and then generate their own family members.
By grade
What students need to know
Words in the same family share their ending: pet and wet are -et words; bell and shell are -ell words.
This skill runs from kindergarten through 1st grade. Pick a grade above for level-matched sentences, teaching notes, and worksheets.
Short e word families across the grades
Kindergarten
The short-e families on this sheet are -et (pet, wet), -ell (bell, shell), and -est (nest, best). Kindergartners sort the words by their rhyming endings, training the ear for a vowel sound that's famously tricky to hear on its own.
1st grade
Short e is the vowel children confuse most with short i, and word families are the fix: rhyme makes the sound unmistakable. First graders sort -et, -ell, and -est words and then generate their own family members.
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