Lesson 57 Teacher Guide UFLI Foundations Lesson 57
VCe Pattern: e_e (/ē/)
4-Day Explicit Phonics Routine • Target Concept: Silent e making vowel e say /ē/
Scope: Grade 1–2 Phonics
Total Pacing: 4 Days (30 min/day)
Day 1 Introduce e_e & Decodable 1
Day 2 Multisyllabic & Decodable 2
Day 3 Line-Count Fluency & Qs
Day 4 Decodable 3 & Verbal Check
Instructional Anchor & Articulation
The vowel-consonant-e pattern with e_e is the least common VCe spelling in English because /ē/ is often spelled ee or ea . Explain: "The final silent e reaches over one consonant to make the first e say its name /ē/." Emphasize mouth shape: wide smile, high tongue position.
Master Lesson Word Bank
Single-Syllable & Proper Names
Pete, Eve, Steve, Gene, theme, scene, gene, meme, sphere, scheme, mete, these
Minimal Pairs (Short vs. Long e):
pet → Pete | them → theme | met → mete
Two-Syllable Words (VCe Endings)
ath•lete, con•crete, com•plete, de•lete, stam•pede, com•pete, tra•peze, ex•treme, sin•cere
Syllable Division Tip:
Divide between closed syllable and VCe (e.g., con / crete).
Nonsense / Pseudo Words (Exit Ticket)
febe, greme, cheve, bleme, flete, zede, snebe, treme, preve, stepe
Tests pure phonetic decoding of the split digraph rule without sight memory.
High-Frequency / Heart Words
where, there, were, here (Review: said, have, they )
♥ Heart Parts: Point out irregular vowel patterns in where/there/were .
Dictation Protocol (Daily Word & Sentence Level)
Day 1 & 2 Sentences:
Pete had to compete in the race.
Steve saw an extreme scene in the lake.
Day 3 & 4 Sentences:
The athlete jumped over the hard concrete.
Eve can complete the math theme before dusk.
UFLI Foundations Aligned • Lesson 57 Teacher Guide Page 1 of 2
Day-by-Day Implementation Walkthrough
Step-by-step instructions across the 4-day instructional arc
30 Min Daily
Day 1: Concept Introduction & Decodable Story 1 ("Pete and Eve")
Concept Launch
1. Visual & Auditory Drill (5m): Review short vowels, digraphs, and previously taught VCe (a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e ).2. New Concept & Blending (10m): Use magnetic letters or slides. Build pet → add magic e → Pete . Teach rule: magic e reaches over. Blend: theme, scene, Gene .3. Decodable Story 1 (10m): Choral read "Pete and Eve at the Lake". Students highlight all e_e spellings in yellow.4. Quick Dictation (5m): Pete, theme, Eve . Sentence: Pete can see Eve.
Day 2: Multisyllabic VCe & Decodable Story 2 ("Steve's Green Theme")
Word Building
1. Blending Board (5m): Rapid chain: pet → Pete → mete; them → theme → scheme .2. Multisyllabic Chunking (10m): Model compound/multisyllabic syllable scoops: ath•lete, con•crete, com•plete . Discuss word meanings.3. Decodable Story 2 (10m): Partner read "Steve's Great Green Theme". Students complete the story response prompt.4. Dictation (5m): Words: concrete, athlete . Sentence: Steve fell on the concrete.
Day 3: Fluency Decodable Reader & Comprehension Protocol
Fluency & Depth
1. Heart Word Drill (5m): Map irregular words where, there, were . Connect to reading passage.2. Timed Fluency Reader (15m): Passage "Steve and Pete's Big Race" with line word counts.Cold Read (1 min): Partner tracks errors & calculates WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute).Echo/Choral Read: Model phrasing, prosody, and punctuation expression.Hot Read (1 min): Final timed read to observe rate growth and automaticity.3. Comprehension Check (10m): Students complete the 5 text-dependent questions independently or in pairs.
Day 4: Decodable Story 3 & 10-Word Verbal Check Exit Ticket
Mastery Check
1. Decodable Story 3 (12m): Read "The Athlete on the Concrete" (multisyllabic challenge text). Complete comprehension check.2. Individual Verbal Exit Ticket (15m): Call students 1-on-1 for 60 seconds each.3. Small-Group Center / Wrap-Up (3m): Immediate tier 2 flagging for students scoring <8/10.
Error Correction & Tier 2 Scaffolds
Common Error: Saying Short /ĕ/ (e.g. "pet" for "Pete"):
Prompt: "Look at the end of the word. What does the magic e do? Jump back and make the vowel say its name." Trace the jump with a finger or pencil.
Multisyllabic Chunking Strategy:
Cover the second syllable: read ath- , uncover: read -lete . Blend: athlete . Ensure students see the VCe syllable type.
UFLI Foundations Aligned • Lesson 57 Teacher Guide Page 2 of 2
Lesson 57 Presentation Slides UFLI Foundations • Lesson 57 4-Day Phonics Focus
VCe Pattern • Vowel-Consonant-e
Magic E with e_e
Discover how silent final e jumps across one consonant to make vowel e say its name: /ē/!
Sound: Long e (/ē/)
Target: Pete, theme, athlete
Step 1: Visual Drill Warm-Up
Say the sound for each card!
a_e /ā/ (cake)
i_e /ī/ (pine)
o_e /ō/ (home)
u_e /ū/ or /yū/ (mule)
Today we complete our Magic E family with our final silent-e pattern: e_e!
New Concept: The Power of Magic E
Watch the vowel change!
Closed Syllable (Short Vowel)
pet
/p/ /ĕ/ /t/
The vowel is closed in, so e says short /ĕ/ .
Magic E!
VCe Syllable (Long Vowel)
Pete
/p/ /ē/ /t/
Silent e jumps over to make e say its name: /ē/ !
Rule Check: The final e makes NO sound of its own. It is silent!
Step 2: Blending Board
Tap each sound, then sweep and blend!
Onset
th
/th/
Vowel
e
/ē/
Consonant
m
/m/
Silent e
e
(silent)
Blend all sounds together: th-e-m-e → theme
Try next: sc-e-n-e → scene | g-e-n-e → gene
Word Chain Ladder
Change only ONE sound or letter at a time!
Step 1
them
Short /ĕ/
Add Silent e
theme
Long /ē/
Change Onset
scheme
/sk/ blend
Change Coda
scene
Soft /s/ → /n/
Change Initial
gene
Soft /j/ sound
Notice how every long e_e word keeps that same silent e rule at the end!
Multisyllabic Chunking
Break into syllables: Scoop & Read!
2 Syllables
ath • lete
ath (closed) + lete (VCe)
athlete
2 Syllables
Decodable Tales Student Booklet UFLI Lesson 57 Story 1 • Day 1
Pete and Eve at the Lake
Name:
Date:
Phonics Target: Look for the e_e split digraph where silent e makes vowel e say /ē/! Highlight words with e_e
Pete woke up early when he saw the bright sun shine into his room. He hopped out of bed and rushed to meet his pal Eve by the wide blue lake. Eve stood on the dock with a grand smile on her face. "Look at this lovely scene!" said Eve. "The sun is warm and the water is so calm."
Pete sat on a flat rock near the water. He said, "I like these tall pine trees that shade the shore. We can sit here and watch the ducks glide past." Eve had brought a bag of ripe plums and red grapes to share. The two friends sat in the gentle breeze and enjoyed their sweet snack.
"Let us hike down the dirt trail," said Pete. "There is an extreme slope ahead, but we can hike with care." Eve picked up a smooth stone and skipped it across the lake. The stone made three big hops before sinking with a splash. Pete grinned and tossed a stone of his own.
When dusk came, Pete and Eve sat back down on the flat rock. Eve said, "I am so glad we came here today. It was such a peaceful trip to the lake." Pete smiled and agreed, "This scene was the very best part of my week."
1. Phonics Hunt: Write 4 words from the story that have the e_e pattern:
2. Where did Pete and Eve sit to eat snacks?
3. What did Eve skip across the water?
UFLI Lesson 57 • Decodable Tales Booklet Page 1 of 3
UFLI Lesson 57 Story 2 • Day 2
Steve's Green Theme
Name:
Date:
Focus Concept: Notice multisyllabic words with e_e endings (complete, compete, extreme ). Read twice for fluency
Steve had to pick a theme for his big class science showcase. His teacher said that each project had to have an exciting theme with facts and art. Steve thought about doing space, but he wanted a theme that felt fresh, lively, and creative.
His pal Gene came over after school to help him brainstorm. Gene said, "Why not choose pond life as your theme? You can make green frogs and moss the center of your board." Steve loved that plan! He set out his big white poster board on the kitchen table and grabbed his markers.
Steve used dark green paint, glued real moss onto the paper, and cut out pictures of bullfrogs. He worked until dusk to complete each section with extreme neatness. Gene clapped his hands and said, "This project is incredible! Your green theme is so bold that you will compete for first prize!"
On Friday morning, Steve carried his poster into the bustling school hall. He placed his green theme project right in the middle of the table. When the judges walked by, they stopped to admire his hard work. Steve felt proud that he took time to complete such a stellar project.
Fluency Reader Decodable Handout UFLI Lesson 57 Fluency Reader
Steve and Pete's Big Race
Name:
Date:
Attempt 1 (Cold Read)
Words: ___
Errors: ___
WCPM: ___
Attempt 2 (Practice)
Words: ___
Errors: ___
WCPM: ___
Attempt 3 (Hot Read)
Words: ___
Errors: ___
WCPM: ___
Directions: Set a 1-minute timer. Read smoothly. Stop when timer sounds and record line count. Total Words − Errors = WCPM
Pete and Steve woke up with big grins on their faces. 11
Today they were set to run in the big track meet. 22
Eve came to the race to cheer for both fast boys. 33
"This will be an extreme race," said Pete with a smile. 44
Steve felt like a top athlete ready to compete and win. 55
The path was made of hard concrete next to the fence. 66
They had to complete three laps around the wide green field. 77
The coach blew his whistle, and both boys took off fast. 88
Pete ran with long strides and did not stop to rest. 99
Steve stayed right by his side as they rounded the turn. 110
Eve yelled from the bench, "Run fast to the finish line!" 121
Both boys felt the heat as they ran lap number two. 132
Pete said, "We must stay strong to complete this long race." 143
Steve dug deep and ran with extreme pace on the path. 154
Both boys crossed the concrete line at the exact same time. 165
What a thrilling scene for every fan at the big race! 176
Accuracy Target /ē/ sound
Pace Smooth, not rushed
Phrasing Read in 3–4 word chunks
Expression Follow punctuation
UFLI Lesson 57 • Fluency Decodable Reader (176 Words Total) Page 1 of 2
Text Evidence Reading Comprehension
5 Text-Dependent Questions
Reference: Steve and Pete's Big Race
1. Why did Pete and Steve wake up with big grins on their faces?
A. They were going to swim in the lake
B. They were set to run in a track meet
C. They were painting poster boards
2. In line 5, the text says Steve felt like a "top athlete." What does the word athlete mean?
A. A person skilled in sports and racing
B. A coach who carries a silver whistle
C. A friend cheering from the bleachers
3. In lines 12–13, what did Pete say to encourage Steve when they felt the heat during lap two?
Verbal Check Exit Ticket Day 4 Mastery Check UFLI Lesson 57
10-Word Verbal Decoding Check: e_e
Student:
Date:
Student Prompt Card (Present to Student) "Please read each word aloud across the rows."
1 Pete
2 febe
3 theme
4 greme
5 gene
6 cheve
7 scene
8 bleme
9 athlete
10 concrete
Teacher Diagnostic Recording Form Below
Diagnostic Scoring Matrix Benchmark: 8 / 10 (80%+)
# Word Type Phonetic Target Accurate SC Miscue / Error Notes 1 Pete Real Basic VCe /pē t/ e.g. read "pet" 2 febe Nonsense Pseudo /fē b/ 3 theme Real Digraph th + e_e e.g. read "them" 4 greme Nonsense R-blend gr + e_e 5 gene Real Soft g /j/ + e_e e.g. hard /g/ sound 6 cheve Nonsense Digraph ch + e_e 7 scene Real Silent c (sc=/s/) 8 bleme Nonsense L-blend bl + e_e 9 athlete Real 2-Syllable (ath-lete) syllable boundary 10 concrete Real 2-Syllable (con-crete) blend in 2nd syll
Score Summary
___ / 10
Real Words: __ / 6
Nonsense Words: __ / 4
Proficiency Level
9–10: Mastered
7–8: Approaching (Review)
≤ 6: Tier 2 Intervention
Benchmark = 80%+
Instructional Action
Ready for Lesson 58 Small-Group Magic E Wand Multisyllabic Chunk Practice
