Long ‘o’ CVCe Words: Free Magic ‘e’ Word Building Activity
Long ‘o’ CVCe words like home, robe and joke show kids how a silent ‘e’ changes the vowel. This free activity has kids build each word with four letter tiles in Google Slides® or Seesaw®, then read it with the long ‘o’ sound.
There are 21 words to build. A word chart at the end reviews them all. There’s a free sign-up for it at the bottom of this post.
Grade Level:
Why Practice Long ‘o’ CVCe Words?
Long ‘o’ has some of the most useful Magic ‘e’ words for young readers. Home, hole and woke show up in early books all the time.
Many of these words have a short vowel partner. Hop and hope or rob and robe show kids exactly what the ‘e’ does.
Building the word with tiles helps kids see the pattern. The ‘o’ sits in the middle and the ‘e’ waits at the end, every time.
After long ‘a’ and long ‘i’, kids start to expect the pattern. Long ‘o’ lets them use what they know with a new vowel.
Next steps for Magic ‘e’ practice:
See All of Our CVCe Words Activities
Skills Kids Practice with Long ‘o’ CVCe Words
These are the skills kids work on with every long ‘o’ word.
✅ Hearing the Long ‘o’
Kids listen for the long ‘o’ in words like rode and mole. It’s the vowel saying its own name.
✅ Spelling the Full Pattern
Kids place a consonant, an ‘o’, another consonant and the silent ‘e’. Leaving out the ‘e’ changes the word, so every letter counts.
✅ Comparing Short and Long
Kids who built fox and pod in the short ‘o’ activity now see how a different pattern changes the sound.
✅ Picking Letters Carefully
Each slide has extra consonants and every vowel. Kids choose the right four letters out of the group.
✅ Reading Everyday Words
Words like home and joke are part of kids’ everyday talk, so reading them feels useful right away.
✅ Word Chart Review
The chart at the end lists every word with a picture. Kids can read through it as a review or use it to check spelling.
How to Use the Long ‘o’ CVCe Activity
You can run this long ‘o’ activity in Google Slides®, Seesaw® or self-checking Boom™ Cards. Setup help for each one is in the How to Get the Activity box. A few ideas for fitting it in:
Ways to Play
- Small Group: Name a slide’s picture together, then have kids spell the word in the air before building it.
- Literacy Centers: Add the slides to a phonics center with the word chart printed nearby.
- Whole Group: Project the word chart and have the class read every word together as a warm-up.
- Home or Homeschool: After building home, draw a picture of your own house and label it.
How to Get the Activity
- Pop your email into the sign-up box below and look for the long ‘o’ CVCe activity in your inbox.
- Choose the format you want when you open the file: Google Slides® or one of two Seesaw® sets.
- Click the Google Slides® link and choose “Make a copy” to save a version that’s all yours.
- Keep kids in Edit mode so they can move the letters. Present mode locks them.
- Kids fill the four boxes under each picture with letter tiles.
- Keep one untouched copy in your Drive for next time.
- Tap the Seesaw® image inside the file to bring the long ‘o’ activity into your library.
- The move tool lets kids slide the letters into the boxes.
- At the end, have kids record themselves reading the word chart.
- To use the self-checking deck, open the long ‘o’ CVCe Boom™ Cards deck.
- Kids get feedback on each word as soon as they submit it.
- Boom™ Cards need the internet to work.
Differentiation Tips for Long ‘o’ CVCe Words
A few ways to adjust the long ‘o’ activity:
For Children Who Need More Support
- Write the pattern on a sticky note (consonant, ‘o’, consonant, ‘e’) and keep it near the screen as a reminder.
- Trim the extra letters on a few slides so there are fewer choices.
- Say each sound with kids and point to the box it goes in.
For On-Level Practice
- Have kids read each word and tell you whether the ‘o’ is long or short.
- Ask kids to explain why there’s an ‘e’ at the end if you can’t hear it.
- Let kids take turns reading the word chart to a partner.
For an Extra Challenge
- Build hop, rob and not with magnetic letters. Add an ‘e’ to each and read the new words.
- Have kids write a short story on a whiteboard using three words from the word chart.
- Ask kids to find long ‘o’ words with a silent ‘e’ in a book they’re reading.
For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support
- Speech: Have kids round their lips for long ‘o’ and hold the sound in words like home and pole.
- OT: Let kids trace each long ‘o’ word in a sand tray or on a chalkboard once they’ve built it.
- ELL: Explain words like lobe and dome with real examples. Point to an ear lobe!
- Special Education: Print the word chart and let kids keep it next to them while they build.
Hands-On Long ‘o’ CVCe Practice
Here are a few more ways to build long ‘o’ words.
Flip-Flap Words
Write short ‘o’ words on index cards with a folded flap on the right side. Kids read the word, then open the flap to show an ‘e’ and read the new word: hop to hope.
Mole Pull
Cut out paper moles and write a long ‘o’ word on each one. Kids pull a mole out of a cup, read the word and keep it if they read it correctly.
Joke Rhymes
Tell a quick joke, then write joke on the board. Kids think of rhyming words like poke and woke and build them with magnetic letters.
Hands-On Word Chart
Set out the printed word chart with letter tiles so kids can build each long ‘o’ word by hand. When they’re ready, move on to the Long ‘u’ CVCe Word Building activity.
Books and Games for Long ‘o’ Words
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Zingo Word Builder has kids build three-letter words in a fast bingo-style game. Add an ‘e’ card to the end of words like hop and rob to show the long ‘o’ change.
You’ll find more of our favorite games in our Amazon shop.
Long ‘o’ CVCe Words FAQ
What are long ‘o’ CVCe words?
These words have a long ‘o’ in the middle and a quiet ‘e’ at the end. Home, rode, joke and hole are good examples.
What words are in the long ‘o’ set?
Kids build 21 words: lobe, robe, code, rode, joke, poke, woke, hole, mole, pole, dome, home, bone, cone, zone, hose, nose, rose, note, tote and vote.
How do I explain silent ‘e’ to kids?
Write hop, then put an ‘e’ on the end to make hope. Kids can hear that the ‘o’ now says its name, even though the ‘e’ stays quiet.
Is this activity free?
Yes. Sign up below for the free Google Slides® and Seesaw® versions. Self-checking Boom™ Cards are a paid upgrade.
What comes after long ‘o’?
The Long ‘u’ CVCe Word Building activity finishes the Magic ‘e’ set.
More Magic ‘e’ Fun from I Teach Too
Club members can download the whole Magic ‘e’ set, long ‘o’ included, straight from the Life Over C’s Club. Explore the Club.
The Google Slides and Seesaw Growing Bundle keeps your digital centers stocked all year.
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