What Comes After Silent E? A Phonics Progression for 1st and 2nd Grade
🧭 Don’t Guess What to Teach Next—Follow the Path
Once students master silent E words like cake and bike, it’s tempting to jump straight into advanced texts. But without a clear progression, kids can become overwhelmed—and gaps can form.
This post gives you a simple, research-aligned roadmap for what to teach after silent E. Whether you’re a teacher planning your phonics block or a parent trying to make sense of it all, this progression will help your readers stay confident and successful.
🔠 Why a Phonics Progression Matters
The order in which phonics skills are introduced impacts how easily students can:
Decode new words
Recognize familiar patterns
Build automaticity and fluency
Retain and apply what they learn
Jumping ahead too fast can lead to guessing or memorizing instead of true decoding.
A progression gives students enough repetition, structure, and scaffolded challenge to grow with confidence.
🧱 Phonics Progression After Silent E
Once students can read and spell silent E words consistently, here’s a research-based sequence that builds from easiest to more complex:
1. Long Vowel Teams
Teach common long vowel combinations like:
ai as in rain
ay as in play
ea as in seal
ee as in feet
oa as in boat
oe as in toe
These patterns often appear in everyday words and reinforce familiar vowel sounds with new spellings.
2. R-Controlled Vowels
Introduce vowels followed by “r,” which change the sound:
ar as in car
er as in her
ir as in bird
ur as in turn
or as in fork
Students may already recognize some of these in spoken language, so decoding them can feel natural once explicitly taught.
3. Diphthongs and Variant Vowels
These vowel sounds glide or shift:
oi as in boil
oy as in toy
ou as in shout
ow as in cow
oo as in moon or book
This is a great place to talk about words that sound the same but are spelled differently, and vice versa.
4. Advanced Endings and Patterns
Once basic phonics is strong, move on to:
Silent consonants: kn, wr, mb, gn
Soft c/g: cent, giraffe
Y as a vowel: cry, happy
Multi-syllable words: replay, sunset, insect
These patterns show up in longer texts and more academic vocabulary.
📅 When to Introduce These Skills
Most students are ready for long vowel teams by mid to late 1st grade, and for r-controlled and diphthongs by 2nd grade. But pace matters more than grade level.
Look for:
Mastery of previous phonics skills (not just exposure)
Confidence with decodable reading
Signs of readiness for new challenge (e.g., blending faster, fewer decoding errors)
🧠 Tip: Reuse the Same Routines With New Skills
You don’t need a brand-new strategy for each new phonics pattern. Keep your familiar routines:
Sound out key words
Read decodable texts
Practice fluency
Check comprehension
The skill changes—but the structure stays the same.
🔁 Final Thought: A Strong Foundation Helps Students Soar
Phonics isn’t about memorizing rules—it’s about giving kids the tools to tackle any word they encounter. By following a clear, research-aligned progression, you help students move from sounding out to reading with confidence.
