The Magic of the Silent ‘e’ – Fun with Invisible Ink!

Teaching vowel sounds is one of those magical moments in literacy development, and nothing illustrates that magic better than the silent “e.” Let’s make the magic of silent e come alive ! When paired with a vowel, the silent “e” changes the short vowel sound into a long one, turning “kit” into “kite” and “pin” into “pine.” But how can we make this lesson even more engaging for our young learners? Here’s an activity that will have your students absolutely spellbound—using invisible ink to reveal the magic “e”!

Invisible Ink Reveal Activity

For this activity, you’ll need invisible ink pens. You can find them here ( AL ) : https://amzn.to/3MRNAs3

Write simple CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words like “hat,” “bit,” and “cap” on pieces of paper. Then, using the invisible ink, add the silent “e” to transform each word into a CVCe word. For example, write “mat” visibly and then use invisible ink to write the “e,” turning it into “mate.”

How It Works

1. Pass out the papers with the words to your students OR create a large anchor chart with cvc words written on it. Be sure to write the e’s after every word with the invisible ink. Students won’t be able to see the e’s until they flash their light on them. ANOTHER OPTION: Using the page in my magic e resource which you can find here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-e-Worksheets-Magic-e-Activities-Puppet-Magic-e-Magical-Lesson-253768 have students write e’s in the stars with white crayon…read the cvc words. Then go over the stars with a marker to reveal the e’s and re read with the long vowel sound. I do both activities and my students LOVE them both!
2. Turn off the classroom lights ( optional ) and have each student use the other end of their ink pens to shine the light to reveal the surprise.
3. As they shine their flashlights over the word, the hidden “e” will appear!
4. Here’s the magical part: When the “e” appears, students will read the new word out loud using the long vowel sound. So, “bit” becomes “bite,” “cap” becomes “cape,” and so on.

This engaging hands-on activity helps solidify the concept of how the magic “e” works while adding a sense of wonder and discovery. Your students will be so excited to read the transformed words, and it’s a fun way to make phonics memorable!

If you liked this post you will most likely enjoy some of my other posts related to literacy here: https://teachingandmuchmoore.com/tag/literacy-ideas/

My fun magic e pack will keep your students engaged and make the lessons quite memorable. Click here to grab this magical resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-e-Worksheets-Magic-e-Activities-Puppet-Magic-e-Magical-Lesson-253768

Remember, teaching phonics doesn’t have to be ordinary—let’s make it magical! ✨