Those vowels can be so tricky for our young readers. After learning the letters and sounds of the alphabet, we introduce the concept that vowels can have two sounds- a short sound and a long sound where the vowel says its name. One of the first phonics rules that we teach is the “magic e” rule. This rule states that when an “e” is close behind another vowel (with no more than one letter in between) the first vowel says its name and the “e” is usually silent. The best way to introduce this concept is by using word sorts – especially using words which emphasize the rule. For example, the words “cap” and “cape”, “can” and “cane” serve as perfect