Shortly after students are solid with their sound-symbol relationships we begin to teach specific phonics rules.  The Magic e rule is one of the first rules introduced to students.  Students must learn that vowels actually have two sounds- a long sound and a short sound.  When reading, students must decide if the vowel in the word makes a short or long sound.  One way a vowel makes a long sound is when an “e” appears at the end of a word.  An “e” close behind another vowel (with no more than one letter in between) usually makes the first vowel say its name, and the “e” is usually silent.  So the vowel sound in the word “cap” is short; the vowel