The Drop-E Rule Worksheets
Silent-e words drop the e before endings that begin with a vowel: bake, baking; smile, smiled; ride, riding. Second graders apply the rule to everyday verbs and learn to reject the kept-e misspellings (bakeing, rideing) on sight.
By grade
What students need to know
A silent e steps aside before an ending that starts with a vowel: bake becomes baking, smile becomes smiled.
This skill runs from 2nd grade through 3rd grade. Pick a grade above for level-matched sentences, teaching notes, and worksheets.
The Drop-E Rule across the grades
2nd Grade
Silent-e words drop the e before endings that begin with a vowel: bake, baking; smile, smiled; ride, riding. Second graders apply the rule to everyday verbs and learn to reject the kept-e misspellings (bakeing, rideing) on sight.
3rd Grade
Third graders drop the e without thinking and navigate the pairs where the drop-e word has a doubled twin: hoping and hopping, taping and tapping. Context picks the word; the rule picks the spelling.