Lesson 22: Ee /ɛ/
Help Your Child Learn to Say, Write, and Read with the Letter Ee!
What Will We Learn Today?
Today we’re learning the letter Ee, which spells the short vowel sound /ɛ/—as in echo or bed. In this lesson, your child will learn how to say the /ɛ/ sound, write uppercase and lowercase Ee, and blend and read short words, phrases, and connected sentences using this essential vowel.
How to Make the /ɛ/ Sound
The /ɛ/ sound is a voiced vowel sound made in the middle of the mouth.
Here’s how to help your child say it:
Open your mouth slightly.
Keep your tongue low and relaxed in the middle of your mouth.
Turn your voice on.
Stretch the sound: /ɛɛɛɛɛ/
Articulate
Say the sound together:
“Let’s say /ɛ/ like in ‘echo’—/ɛ/!”
Try stretching it out: /ɛɛɛɛ/
Ask your child to feel their voice buzzing as they say it.
How to Write the Letter Ee
Time to grab your whiteboard and marker!
Uppercase E
Draw a straight vertical line down.
Add three short horizontal lines going right—one at the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom.
Lowercase e
Start in the middle.
Draw a small line going right.
Curve it around to make a small loop, ending in a closed circle.
Practice tracing and air writing, or form the letter with yarn or clay.
Let’s Practice Reading Words
Blend these CVC words with the /ɛ/ sound:
net – bed – pet – peg – den – set – men – pen – ten
Model slowly, then blend:
“/p/ – /ɛ/ – /t/” → pet
Let’s Practice Reading Phrases
a big bed
ten men
a big den
the pet pen
a net and a peg
a pen and a pet
Encourage your child to point and read each word, then reread for fluency.
Let’s Practice Reading Sentences
I fed the pet dog.
I bet the net is big.
The cub is in the den.
Get the net and the bed.
Practice rereading and identifying words with the /ɛ/ sound.
Let’s Practice Reading Connected Sentences
Meg and Deb got a pet.
The pet is a dog.
Meg set a bed.
The dog did not get in the bed.
Deb got a big net and set it on the bed.
The dog is in its bed.
Ask your child:
What happened to the dog?
Who set the bed?
Where is the net?
Color, Trace, and Write
Use printable worksheets where your child can:
Color pictures that have the /ɛ/ sound (e.g., bed, pen, net)
Trace uppercase and lowercase Ee
Write the letter Ee independently
[Download the Ee Worksheet Here]
Flashcards – Beginning Sound Focus
Use picture flashcards to help your child hear and match the /ɛ/ sound in words.
Examples:
egg
echo
elf
end
Ask:
“Do you hear /ɛ/ at the beginning?”
“Which letter spells that sound?”
[Download Ee Flashcards – Beginning Sound Set Here]
Conclusion
The /ɛ/ sound helps unlock many common English words for young readers. Through writing, reading, and listening, your child is growing their fluency one sound at a time.
Keep practicing—and ask your child:
“Can you find a word with the /ɛ/ sound around the house?”