Kindergarten · Reading · week 21

Short E: Hen, Bed, Net

Blend three-sound words using the short e sound, reading hen, bed, and net.

The last new vowel of the year: short e, the "eh" sound from egg. Blend it into hen, bed, and net.

Hen is a word you blended by ear back in week three. Every short vowel sound is now something you can both hear and read.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Say the short e sound alone first, "eh," before blending it into a full word.
  • Remind your child this is the fifth and final short vowel sound of the year: a, i, o, u, and now e.
  • Watch for short e blending into short i, since both are quick, close vowel sounds.
  • Celebrate that all five short vowels are now known. That is the heart of reading CVC words.
Talk about it:
  • What sound does the letter e make in hen?
  • Can you name all five short vowel sounds you now know?
  • Which short vowel still feels the newest to you?

Mastery looks like: They blend and read short e words like hen, bed, and net accurately, completing all five short vowel sounds.

Common stumbles: Confusing the short e sound with the short i sound; forgetting an earlier vowel sound while focused on the newest one.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

Blending & SegmentingSlide sounds together to read a word — /s/ /u/ /n/ → “sun”.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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