Create a collection of word cards that have words containing both long E and short E spelling patterns. Mix the words up, and challenge students to read the words and sort by their vowel sound. The words can be pasted to different papers, put into different containers or sorted into different piles. To add a competitive element, have students work in pairs or teams to sort their words. Declare the fastest or most accurate sorters the winners of the game.
Create a deck of word cards that contains words with various spellings of the long E sound. Make sure there are at least four examples of each spelling pattern. You will need a minimum of 30 cards, but you can repeat patterns in groups of four. Allow students to play in groups of two to four. Pattern grouping games like familiar children's card games. Play "Go Fish" by dealing out five cards to each player. Each player should ask an opponent for a card with a spelling similar to one held in her hand. The opponent must surrender the card if it is in her hand. If the card is not in the opponent's hand, the asking player should "fish" by drawing the top card from the pile of remaining cards. Players lay down groups of four matching words with similar long E spellings to score points. Play "Rummy" by dealing five cards to all players and laying the remaining cards facedown in the center of the table. Turn over the top card beside the pile. Players choose to take a new card from the deck or the faceup pile, then discard another from their hand, trying to form groups of words with matching spellings.
Make a trail game by drawing a path of connected spaces on a paper or in a folder. Put penalty and bonus spaces on some squares. Get a spinner to control movement and pawns for each player. Use a deck of words with long E spelling patterns. Each player should spin to determine the spaces to move, read the next card from the deck then move upon correct response. Make the game more difficult by having players attempt to spell the word when an opponent reads it to them, or by requiring a player to name another word with a similar spelling pattern before moving.
Divide students into partners or small teams. Provide a long E word bank for younger students that includes words with long E sounds that your group has been learning about. Have the groups race to put together sentences or short stories that contain the most long E words. Change the challenge level of the game by adding additional parameters to score, such as limiting the number of words that do not contain the long E sound.