eps.schoolspecialty.com800.225.5750
Reading Excellence for Every Student
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 5
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 6
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 7
LEVEL 4
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 4READER
Sheila Clark-Edmands
3rd Edition3rd Edition
Specialized Program Individualizing Reading ExcellenceSpecialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence
S.P.I.R
.E.
® LE
VE
L 4
RE
AD
ER
SH
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A C
LA
RK
-ED
MA
ND
S 3
rd E
ditio
n
®
Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence
3rd Edition
ReaderLevel 4
Sheila Clark-Edmands
Editorial Project Manager: Tracey NewmanSenior Editor: Laura A. WoollettAssistant Editor: Rachel L. Smith
© 2012 by School Specialty, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Benton Harbor, MI, in July 2011ISBN 978-0-8388-5712-0
1 2 3 4 5 PPG 15 14 13 12 11
Contents
Contents
ea: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Basketball Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A Funny Snack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The King of Peanut Butter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Consonant-le Syllables: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A Simple Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
A Great Mess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Miss Giggle-Higgle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
oa: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27–28
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Rob’s Wish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Mitch and the Ditch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The Boat Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Decoding and Sentence Reading D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
A Wonderful Day, Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44–45
iii
ai: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
A Kind of Fairy Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Just Like Old Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Sayings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Decoding and Sentence Reading D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rainy Day Complaining, My Wish, A Sister and Brother Speak Out . . . . . . . . 60–62
ee: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Decoding and Sentence Reading Review A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
A Fearful Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Decoding and Sentence Reading Review B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Live Your Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
This Will Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Decoding and Sentence Reading D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
A Bee and a Flea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
oo: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Review Sight Words, New Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
A Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Shooting Hoops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Rainy Day Picnic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Decoding and Sentence Reading D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
A Good Rule (Poem), Goofy Zoo (Poem) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92–93
Contentsiv
Contents
igh: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
New Sight Words, Review Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
A Crash in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Light (Article) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Lightning Bug (Article) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
ie: Sound Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Review Sight Words, New Sight Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Decoding and Sentence Reading A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
The Oak and the Reeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Decoding and Sentence Reading B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
To Tell the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Decoding and Sentence Reading C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
The Little Golden Fairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
v
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ea (eat)
ea (eat)
eat
leaf
team
read
meal
seam
beach
cheap
squeak
beat
least
heave
steal
ease
leash
ear
weak
meat
leak
lean
bean
teach
speak
dream
heat
sea
eaves
beam
fear
tease
each
year
real
beak
heap
reap
wheat
streak
cream
neat
tea
flea
leak
near
deal
mean
seat
hear
peak
tear
reach
clear
sneak
treat
feast
leave
each
stream
shear
reason
dear
east
bead
heal
leap
peach
clean
steam
beast
yeast
weave
seal
please
bleach
sneaker
1
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ea (bread, steak)
ea (bread)head
ready
spread
health
meant
sweat
breakfast
already
thread
healthy
feather
sweater
threat
dead
lead
deaf
wealth
leather
breath
bread
threaten
wealthy
weather
heavy
instead
ea (steak)
steak
bear
great
pear
break
wear
greater
tear
Review Sight Wordsthe, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who, into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, gone, walk, talk, want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something, someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone, both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange, danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should
2
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
treat
prize
mouse
peach
speaker
matching
costume
real
problem
hear
singing
dear
neat
stayed
here
joke
read
sea
helmet
heat
The old dog is deaf and cannot hear you.
I hear with my ears.
Do not eat the peach until it is ripe.
Jade likes to swim in the cold sea.
I like to go to the seaside and sit on the beach.
It is great to have time to read.
The problem is that I did not hear you.
Please pass the meat so I may eat.
Your costume is really neat!
We gave the cat some treats to eat.
3
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Basketball Dreams
Some kids dream of being in a rock band . Some want to
act in films . Dean Hong dreamed of playing basketball . He
spent all his spare time on his basketball skills .
He could run fast . He could pass well . He could make
his shots . He was small, but he could leap up and touch the
rim of the basket . His pals felt he could make the team .
“You play like a real champ!” said Rex . “I love to watch
you dunk the ball!”
“And you are a great passer!” said Mick . “You get the
ball just where a player can reach it to make the shot .”
On the day of the tryouts, Dean woke up at six . To get
in shape, he ran before breakfast .
When he got back, he walked into the kitchen . Dad
was there .
“Dad, I take care of myself . I am fit and healthy,” he
said . “I have played basketball each day to get better . Do
you think I will make the team?”
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck,
qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsBasketball Dreams
4
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“You are in peak shape,” Dad said . “Try not to think so
much about the tryouts . Just do the best you can . I think
you will be fine . If you do not make the team this time,
there is always the next time to try .”
“Thanks, Dad,” said Dean . “Wish me luck!”
“I wish you luck,” said Dad . “But you can’t go yet . Sit
here and have a big breakfast!”
At tryouts, Dean was ready . He played well . He was
hopeful that the team would pick him . The next day, the
team list was posted . Dean had made the team .
Dean’s team, the Wildcats, went on to play well that
year . He had a great time playing . And his dad and his pals
had a great time watching him play . Dean and his team did
not win at the County Games, but they came close .
“The Wildcats will win it all next year,” said Dad .
“That would be great,” said Dean .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsBasketball Dreams
5
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
It is foggy at the lake today .
Do you want cream in your tea?
Be careful what you put into a landfill .
I want to be a teacher when I am older .
I am dreaming of a hot meal .
Put your napkin on your lap before you eat .
Listen carefully to the speaker .
I said “Ouch” when the ball hit me .
Dad will teach himself to swim .
I hate to drive on foggy days .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck,
qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
each
summer
himself
landfill
peas
ouch
ease
foggy
teach
careful
speak
dream
round
napkin
teacher
basket
speaker
meal
bigger
drive
teabag
cream
pound
insult
6
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Funny Snack
I came home from school and was really hungry .
My dad had a snack ready . The snack was bread and jam .
“Yum .”
I ate it quickly and asked for something else .
Dad had to think awhile; then he gave me some bread
and peanut butter .
“Yum .”
I quickly ate that also . I still asked for something else .
Dad had to think . “Well,” he said, “I meant to go to the
store, but I did not have time . I still do have some bread,
and you can put Fluff on it .”
“Yum! That really was filling .” I was full .
Just then, Mom came home . “I could eat everything
around,” said Mom . “I am really hungry . Would you please
make a sandwich that I could eat?” asked Mom .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Funny Snack
7
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“Dear, dear,” said Dad . “The bread is all gone . It was
just eaten . I meant to go to the store when I got a call . I
talked and talked and the next thing, Jake was home . I lost
track of time . Jake was so hungry, he ate all the bread .”
“That’s okay . Do you have crackers?” said Mom .
“Yes, I do,” said Dad . “Would you like some?”
“I have not had crackers and jam in a long time,” said
Mom . “In fact, I was small the last time I had crackers and
jam . I would love some . It would be a real treat!”
Mom and Dad sat and had crackers and jam . I had to
smile . It was funny to see Dad with jam on his chin .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck,
qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Funny Snack
8
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Today is the hottest day of the year.
Lin made us a fine picnic lunch.
Put on a helmet when you bat.
It was a cold and cloudy day.
Jack was grounded after he stayed out late.
The puffin sat on the rock.
The butter melted on the plate.
The teacher asked the class to listen carefully as the speaker
spoke about reptiles.
Nell got some thread to fix her costume.
Peanut butter and jam make a great snack.
dreaming
shouting
grounded
hottest
peach
contest
useless
reptile
helmet
pouted
costume
dentist
teacher
sneaker
played
bread
rubber
butter
puffin
cloudy
head
lunch
stayed
upset
until
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
9
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The King of Peanut Butter
A Fluffernutter sandwich is made by mixing together
peanut butter and Fluff . Thus, it is called by the name
Fluffernutter .
Fred loved Fluffernutter sandwiches . In fact, that was all
he would eat!
When his mom made him peach muffins for breakfast,
he would not eat them . When his mom made him soup and
crackers for lunch, he would not eat that . When his mom
made him meatballs for dinner, he screamed, “I ONLY
WANT FLUFFERNUTTER SANDWICHES!”
“You have to eat something else besides Fluffernutter
sandwiches,” his mom begged .
“Nothing else,” said Fred . “Only Fluffernutter .”
So, Fred’s mom made him Fluffernutter sandwiches . On
and on it went, day after day .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck,
qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe King of Peanut Butter
10
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“Fluffernutter sandwiches, Fluffernutter sandwiches!”
screamed Fred .
One day, things about Fred began to be different . He
found that he could not speak as well . When he spoke, his
mouth and lips quickly stuck together .
“What did you say?” said Mom . “Speak up, I cannot
hear you .”
“Help . I cannot speak louder,” whispered Fred .
Mom gasped and ran to get Dad . “What can we do?”
she asked . “Fred cannot open his mouth . He cannot speak!”
“Go to bed and get some rest, Fred,” Dad said . “When
you wake up, you should be fine .”
Fred lay back in bed and slept . He had a wild dream . A
big man in a tan costume spoke to him . “I am the King of
Peanut Butter . It is I who stuck your mouth shut,” the big
man said proudly .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe King of Peanut Butter
11
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“I am not a mean man,” said the King of Peanut Butter .
“But I am quite mad at you, young Fred . You use all the
peanut butter . You use all the Fluff . What are the rest of
the kids supposed to do? You must leave them some . You
cannot eat it all . That is so selfish!”
“Listen to me,” said the King . “Next time you eat
breakfast, have a muffin . Eat some pancakes . When you eat
lunch, have a ham sandwich . Do NOT eat Fluffernutter
sandwiches all the time . If you do, your mouth will stick
shut . Do you hear me?”
Fred woke up screaming . From then on, he ate lots of
things, as well as Fluffernutter sandwiches .
ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck,
qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe King of Peanut Butter
12
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Consonant -le syllables
ble
bubble
stumble
tumble
rumble
tremble
thimble
double
couple
trouble
cle
uncle
dle
middle
handle
puddle
saddle
riddle
bundle
fle
riffle
sniffle
raffle
ruffle
consonant-le syllables
ble cle dle fle gle kle ple tle zle
thim|ble sim|ple lit|tle
13
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
consonant-le syllables
gle
wiggle
giggle
shingle
jingle
tingle
jungle
juggle
tangle
mangle
kle
buckle
pickle
tickle
chuckle
twinkle
sprinkle
tackle
crackle
grackle
ple
simple
apple
dimple
pimple
temple
topple
tle
little
rattle
cattle
kettle
bottle
zle
puzzle
muzzle
guzzle
dazzle
drizzle
sizzle
New Sight Words
castle, whistle
Review Sight Wordsthe, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who, into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk, want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something, someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone, both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange, danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should
14
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Shout if you have the winning raffle ticket.
Did you pack a picnic basket?
The thunder was loud.
I will tell you a funny riddle.
The robber fled from the crime.
I will have soup and crackers for lunch on this cold day.
I had to chuckle at the jingle the little children sang.
Please quit snapping that rubber band.
Miss Galvin will teach me to tumble.
Do not wiggle in your seat when the speaker is talking.
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
buckle
snapping
inside
funny
played
thanks
seating
simple
thunder
fussy
riddle
staying
tumble
ticket
candle
under
house
apple
stuck
saddle
picnic
teacher
cracker
understand
bravely
fled
treat
raffle
15
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Simple Cold
Patrick was in bed on a lovely, sunny day . His mom was
sitting by his side .
“Your nose is all stuffed up,” she said . “You have a bad
case of the sniffles, young man .”
“Mom, I am not a little kid!” Patrick said . His stuffed-up
nose made him speak in a squeaky way . “What I have is a
cold, a simple cold . Not the sniffles!”
“OK, old man,” said Mom with a giggle . “You have a
simple cold . And maybe something more . Let me check .”
She leaned in and pressed her hand to his forehead . “Yes,
your forehead is hot . You also have the chills .”
“I am chilly,” Patrick had to admit . He grabbed his
sweater and pulled it on . “But Tommy and I are planning
to go to the big game . We want to watch the team win!
Listen, I can handle this cold, Mom . And I will bundle up
to take care of the chills .”
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Simple Cold
16
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“No, that will not do,” said Mom . “You would just get
sicker if you went out . You need to stay in bed, get plenty
of rest, and eat healthy stuff .”
“But, Mom,” Patrick said .
“Listen to me, Patrick,” said Mom . “It’s bad enough
that you could get sicker if you went out . But here is what’s
really bad . You could give your cold to the rest of the kids
at the game . What will they think?”
“They would all be mad at me,” said Patrick . “And
Tommy would be the maddest! He hates to get colds .”
“Then that settles it,” said Mom . She got up off his bed .
“I could make you something to eat, unless you want to
rest . What would you like to do?”
Patrick sat up . “I would like something to eat, please,”
he said .
“What would you like?” asked Mom . “Some bread and
jam? A bran muffin? An apple? I could also make you some
hot tea .”
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Simple Cold
17
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“A muffin and some tea, please,” said Patrick .
“Thanks, Mom .”
“What are you going to do while I make your breakfast?”
asked Mom .
“I am going to call Tommy and tell him why I cannot go
to the game,” said Patrick . “Then I will do this .” He pulled
something off the shelf beside his bed . “Math puzzles,” he
told his Mom . “I love to do them . Then I will not mind
staying in bed .”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Mom with a chuckle . She left
to make his breakfast .
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Simple Cold
18
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
When you are deaf, you cannot hear.
The child was sitting on the steps.
The little child could not speak.
My dad is a meat packer at the plant.
I have lots of sea shells in my pocket.
I wonder if Mommy is ready to go.
Please put the dinner plates into the dishwasher.
The tot carefully climbed up the steps.
Little Betty ate a lot of treats.
Please put your things neatly on the bed.
swinging
getting
stove
mouse
packer
bottle
dishpan
climbed
Benny
things
neatly
meatless
jumped
little
cross
landed
treats
ready
house
hands
better
shell
child
eat
real
deaf
couch
round
found
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
19
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Great Mess
Kaylin was dreaming . In her dream, she was eating a pile
of Wheat Crackles, grinning, and rubbing her tummy . She
woke up . It was just six, but she had to get up . She had to
have some Wheat Crackles! She rushed into the kitchen
and searched the shelf for the Wheat Crackles box .
Where was it? Kaylin checked under the counter,
pulling out pots and pans . She was being quite loud . She
woke up her dad . He came into the kitchen and spoke to
Kaylin . He was not happy .
“You woke me up with all your banging around,” her
dad said . “What is the problem?”
So Kaylin told him what the problem was .
“This is a simple problem to fix, Kaylin,” he said . “The
Wheat Crackles may be gone . But there are lots of things
to eat .”
“I really did not mean to be rude and wake you up,
Dad,” said Kaylin .
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Great Mess
20
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“It’s fine, Kaylin . Well, as long as I am up, both of
us can think of something to eat . Maybe we can make
something . What do we have on hand?”
“There’s a little bit of flour left,” said Kaylin, pulling out
a bag .
“And a ripe apple on this plate,” said Dad, picking up
the red apple .
“Here is an egg,” said Kaylin .
“We have milk,” said Dad, grabbing the milk bottle .
“And some butter .”
“This is fun . It’s like a puzzle,” said Kaylin . “What can
we make with all these things? We have flour, milk, an egg,
butter, and an apple .”
“I can think of something,” said Dad as he picked up the
pancake flipper . “Can you tell me what it is?”
“I love riddles,” said Kaylin . “Let me think .” Her
forehead puckered . Then she grinned . “Apple pancakes,”
she said .
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Great Mess
21
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
So Kaylin and Dad made apple pancakes . Dad flipped
them, and Kaylin put them on the plates . She put pats of
butter on top of each pile . It melted on the hot pancakes .
They had made a real feast!
“Yum!” said Kaylin as she dug into her pile of pancakes .
Just then, Kaylin’s mom walked into the kitchen .
“What’s that great smell?” she asked . She spun around .
Pots and pans filled the sink . The counter top was dusty
with flour .
“Yikes!” she shouted . “The smell is great, but so is
the mess!”
Kaylin and her dad grinned and nodded . Dad held up a
plate of pancakes . “There are plenty left . Want some?”
“Well,” Mom said with a chuckle . “Great meals
sometimes leave great messes . I’ll help you eat, and then I’ll
pitch in to help you clean up this mess!”
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Great Mess
22
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The feather tickles.
Put the napkin on your lap.
I hope you can stay and have dinner with us.
The plants will sprout in the spring.
Why do you talk in class when the teacher is speaking?
When the peas were shelled, Bonny came running back.
It will hold lots of bottles of milk.
What did you take out?
The day passed quickly.
Jill walked proudly.
speaking
problem
cleaning
feather
proudly
thank
staying
shouted
himself
lifting
grass
asked
sprout
tickle
summer
really
picnic
flour
dinner
round
reach
napkin
lonely
mean
our
leaf
must
read
tell
clam
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
23
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Miss Giggle-Higgle
Miss Giggle-Higgle was old and lived in an old house by
herself .
Miss Giggle-Higgle had a big dimple on her chin . It made
her smile bigger, and it was funny when she talked . The
dimple would go in and out like a big bubble .
Miss Giggle-Higgle was a great baseball player . When she
was little, it was said she could hit a ball all the way across the
country . But Miss Giggle-Higgle hadn’t played baseball in a
long time . All she did was sit day after day, often yelling at the
kids who walked on her grass . She was mean and angry all the
time . Her dimple never would come, and she never had a smile .
Most of the kids stayed away from Miss Giggle-Higgle’s
house . They didn’t want her to yell at them . Miss Giggle-
Higgle became more and more unhappy . She didn’t think it,
but she was really lonely .
Miss Giggle-Higgle’s house was near where the children
played baseball . She would sit inside and listen to the children
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMiss Giggle-Higgle
24
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
playing . She could tell when they had a home run because of
all the shouting . Sometimes, Miss Giggle-Higgle would find
herself shouting also . Then she would quickly sit and slouch in
her rocker . She felt so bad!
It was not fun to be old . Miss Giggle-Higgle could not run
fast or get around well at all . She could not get out, and no one
came to visit . No wonder she felt grouchy all the time! She was
thinking, “I wish I were young, or at least I wish I could try to
hit a baseball . I wonder if I can still do it as well as before .”
Just then, a big thump hit the side of Miss Giggle-Higgle’s
house . It was so loud that Miss Giggle-Higgle put her hands on
her ears . Miss Giggle-Higgle jumped out of her rocker and ran
out of her house . No one was around . All the children ran and
hid because they feared what Miss Giggle-Higgle would do .
Miss Giggle-Higgle picked up the ball . She saw that it was
just like the baseball she had when she was young!
Miss Giggle-Higgle held up the ball and held up her cane .
With the cane, Miss Giggle-Higgle gave the ball the biggest hit
you ever saw . The ball went flying back to home base .
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMiss Giggle-Higgle
25
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The children were in wonder . They came out from where
they hid . Miss Giggle-Higgle could hear loud clapping and
shouting for her .
The children ran up to Miss Giggle-Higgle to shake her
hand . Miss Giggle-Higgle suddenly had the biggest smile,
and her dimple popped . She suddenly felt proud and younger
than before .
The children asked her to hit the ball more . From that day
on, Miss Giggle-Higgle sat outside and watched the children
play ball . She shouted louder than all the rest . And after the
games, all the children went to her house for cake and milk .
Miss Giggle-Higgle was not lonely, and she never minded
the children walking on her grass .
consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMiss Giggle-Higgle
26
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
oa
New Sight Words
oak
boat
foam
poach
roam
soar
coast
coach
float
roadrunner
toad
goat
loan
groan
roar
boast
oat
cockroach
blackboard
scoreboard
loaf
coat
goal
cloak
board
throat
coarse
meatloaf
dashboard
load
soak
coal
croak
roast
goad
coax
oatmeal
tugboat
road
moan
soap
oar
toast
hoarse
hoax
steamboat
skateboard
although, dough, doughnut, though
oa 27
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
oa
Review Sight Words
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who,
into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk,
want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something,
someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone,
both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange,
danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should, castle,
whistle
28
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Mom chopped a handful of nuts to put into the cake batter.
Beth stayed home with a sore throat.
Do not make rude comments.
Please stop slouching in your seat.
Lex groaned as he lifted the heavy box.
My dad coached our winning team.
The frog croaked in the pond.
At breakfast, I had poached eggs and toast.
The film was a thriller.
That box has a big hole.
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
toasted
temple
hopeful
seat
stayed
sounded
happened
useless
comment
groaning
treated
restless
thriller
slouch
coached
floats
boasting
boss
throat
sitting
little
roasted
risky
sore
handful
29
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Rob’s Wish
Cape Cod was home to Rob Santos . The sea was all
around him on the Cape, which was fine with Rob . He
wanted to spend as much time as he could by the sea and
on the sea . His goal was to make enough cash, with help
from his dad, to get a small boat . Then he would roam the
seas, maybe head up the coast .
Rob had just one problem, and it was not a small one . He
had to coax his dad into letting him have a boat . This would
not be so simple . Last summer, Rob was careless with his
dad’s boat . He had lost one of the oars . Then he had badly
banged the boat when he had pulled in to the dock . His dad
had said that Rob hadn’t treated the boat with care .
Rob had gone to the store to get an oar . He had fixed the
boat . But his dad did not think that was enough . He did not
trust Rob to take care of a boat . Rob had to make it clear to
his dad that he could be trusted . But what could he do?
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRob’s Wish
30
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Then one summer day, Rob was at the beach, near the
dock, soaking up some sun . Suddenly, there was a loud
scream . Rob quickly sat up . A small child was floating on
a rubber raft out at sea . The wind must have come up
suddenly and pushed the rubber raft out from shore . The
child’s mom was the one who had screamed . Rob watched
her run into the waves to get her child, but the child was
out of reach .
Rob quickly jumped up, dashed to the dock, and leaped
into his dad’s boat . He grabbed the oars and locked them
into the oarlocks . He headed out quickly . As Rob pulled
on the oars, sweat dripped off his chin . He pushed the boat
faster and faster through the waves .
At last, Rob reached the child and pulled her into his
boat . She was happy to be safe and gave him a hug . Tying
the raft to his boat with a rope, Rob dragged the raft
behind him to shore .
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRob’s Wish
31
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
When Rob got back on land, the child’s mom ran and
hugged him . As she held her child, some watchers came up
to Rob and patted him on the back . He had acted quickly
and bravely, they told him .
“Rob,” someone said . Rob spun around . It was his dad .
“I am proud of what you just did . So here is what I am
going to do . I will let you use my boat all summer . If you
take care of it, then I will help you get a boat that is all
yours . What do you say?”
Rob stuck out his hand . “It’s a deal, Dad,” he said with a
big grin .
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRob’s Wish
32
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
All insects, such as ants, have six legs.
The sun is nearest to us in the wintertime.
The campfire gave us plenty of heat.
Sally asks tricky riddles.
Lately, the singer has not sung well.
The goat crunched on all the junk in the dump.
The jungle is full of wild things.
Tam could outrun and outjump the rest of us.
The coach gave Billy a pat on the back.
Pascal went off to get a loaf of French bread.
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
selfish
longest
camper
outside
insect
shipment
coach
jungle
daytime
dinner
lifeless
fluffy
riddle
trip
campfire
wiggle
teacher
singer
crunched
nearest
pickle
toaster
lately
dumped
bigger
33
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Mitch and the Ditch
Vic sat in the kitchen on a hot summer day . He had just
eaten his Oat Clusters . He pushed his plate around and
began to mumble, “What a bore, what a bore, what a bore .”
“What’s a bore?” his mom asked .
“Oat Clusters . My life,” Vic moaned . “Calvin and
Renaldo are at camp . What can I do? I am so lonely!”
“Why don’t you take a ride on your skateboard?” his
mom said .
“I don’t want to . It’s hot out,” Vic said, with a whine .
“I have to clean the house today,” said his mom . “If you
stay inside, you can help!”
“I think I will go out then,” said Vic, as he put his plate
and dish in the sink .
Vic went out and sat on the back steps . After a while, he
leaned back and soaked up the sun’s rays . “Think,” he said
to himself . “Think of something thrilling you could do .
Something really thrilling .”
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e,
tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMitch and the Ditch
34
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Just then, Vic saw something quite odd . On the ground,
near a big old oak, was a small insect . It was digging a hole
that kept getting bigger and bigger . And longer and longer .
The ground just kept falling in .
“One little bug can’t dig that big ditch,” Vic said out
loud . “What is going on here?”
Vic went over to the ditch and hopped in . Suddenly the
ground at the bottom of the ditch began to cave in . Vic fell
until he hit a soft bunch of leaves . He gasped when a small
head popped out from the leaves . From what Vic could
tell, it was a mole . The mole sat quite still, and its gaze was
quite steady .
Vic crouched next to the mole and grinned . He felt like
being silly . He would talk to this mole . “Well, well, little
critter,” he said . “It’s a fine day . And you are a fine mole .”
“Yes . Yes, I am,” said the mole, blinking up at Vic . “But
I must tell you, I am not happy to have you drop in on me .
I mean, you really dropped in on me .”
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMitch and the Ditch
35
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“You—you are talking to me,” Vic croaked . “But moles
can’t talk!”
“Of course we can,” said the mole . “I am talking to you,
am I not? By the way, my name is Mitch . What is your
name?” The mole sounded a bit hoarse, though, as if it did
not talk that much .
Vic told the mole his name and asked, “Where am I?”
“Well, Vic, you are here at my house,” said Mitch . “I
suppose you would like to come in .”
When Vic nodded, Mitch led him into a space behind
the leaves . There was blackness all around, and Vic could
not make out much in the dimness .
“Please have a seat . Would you like something to eat?”
Mitch asked .
Vic saw a bench, so he sat on it . He did not want to be
rude . “Yes, please . I would like something to eat . And you
have a fine home .”
“Thank you,” said Mitch . “Here is a little something I just
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMitch and the Ditch
36
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
whipped up .” He handed Vic a plate of something mushy .
Vic ate some . “Yum!” he said, though he really didn’t
like it much .
“It’s grub mush!” said Mitch proudly . “I use the freshest
grubs that I can find!”
“Mmmm,” Vic said, trying not to be sick .
“Well, Vic, thanks so much for dropping in,” said Mitch .
“It is almost time for my nap . Have no fear . I will help you
get back home .”
Just then Vic found himself lying under the old oak . He
sat up . Where was Mitch? Where was the ditch?
“Did I dream it all?” he wondered . “Who cares? It was
not a bore . I am going to make this into a great tall tale .
Calvin and Renaldo will want to hear all about it when they
get back from camp!”
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMitch and the Ditch
37
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The call to the fire house was a hoax.
Joan made both goals in the game.
Stay home if you have a sore throat.
Let’s take a drive up the coast.
Be careful not to boast.
Mom had to coax the tot to eat his peas.
The truck had a heavy load.
I have a long, black cloak.
My dad is the baseball coach.
The cockroach is a nasty bug.
floating
grabbed
speaker
walker
himself
boasted
before
proudly
under
animal
middle
lunched
rounder
leaky
slippers
ribbon
beginning
plunked
belonged
throat
eaten
splashed
address
hopped
hoax
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
38
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The Boat Contest
Dad and Gretchen had spent all day patching the boat .
At last, it was ready to go . It had leaked badly before, but
they had fixed it just in time . The big boat contest was the
next day .
“It should float,” said Dad to Gretchen . “And you
should win!”
Gretchen grinned . “I will, as long as my boat does
not sink!”
“It will float . Trust me,” said Dad . “Well, it’s time to get
to bed . Don’t be loud and wake Mom .”
The next day, the clock rang at nine . Dad groaned . He
wanted to stay in bed, but Mom was up already . He could
hear her humming in the kitchen .
Dad leaped out of bed and yelled to Gretchen, but she
was already up and dressed as well . When Dad walked
into the kitchen, Gretchen and Mom were fixing toast and
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Boat Contest
39
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
oatmeal . Dad cut a slice off the loaf of wheat bread and
popped it into the toaster .
“Gretchen is going to win this contest,” he boasted to
Mom . “You can bet on it!”
Mom just grinned and hugged Gretchen .
As they ate, Dad and Gretchen chatted about the rules .
The contest would begin at the east end of Toad Lake .
The goal was to reach the dock at the west end in the
fastest time . But there was a tricky rule . You could use
just one oar, and you had to use it like a paddle . Gretchen
had done this lots of times, though, and she felt she could
paddle faster than the rest of the boaters .
When they were all done eating, Mom put the plates in
the sink while Dad and Gretchen went outside . Gretchen
helped Dad put the boat in the back of the pickup truck .
Then he, Mom, and Gretchen headed to the east end of
Toad Lake .
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Boat Contest
40
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Gretchen and Dad pushed the boat off the truck and
into the lake . This would be the real test to find out if it
would float . Gretchen held her breath as it went in . There
were no leaks . She let out a yell and grinned at Dad .
Just then, the boats were called to line up beside a rope .
Gretchen carefully got into the boat and headed to the
rope . The gun went off, the rope was dropped, and the
boats sped off . Gretchen’s oar splashed in and out as she
pushed the boat along . In went the oar . Out came the oar .
In went the oar . It was clear that Gretchen could handle
the single oar .
Mom and Dad were watching from the shore . Dad’s
throat was sore from yelling . Mom’s hands were sore from
clapping . They watched Gretchen soar past boats . She was
in the lead . She gave a yell as she reached her goal, pulling
the boat into the dock .
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Boat Contest
41
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Mom and Dad quickly got into the pickup truck and
drove to the dock . They got out and ran to Gretchen . She
had a red winner’s cap on her head and was grinning . Dad
pulled out some glasses . Mom had a bottle of milk with
her . She poured milk into the glasses .
Dad made a toast to Gretchen . “Here’s to you, Gretchen,”
he said . “You are great! You can really handle a paddle!”
They all drank some milk . Then Gretchen made a toast to
Dad . “Here’s to you, Dad . You are a great leak-fixer!”
“Well,” said Dad with a wink, “we all have to be great at
something!”
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Boat Contest
42
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
I found a lucky penny on the ground outside the five and
dime store.
I had oatmeal and doughnuts to eat at breakfast time.
Jenny felt dizzy, but she got on the ride one more time.
We live near the seashore.
The penny was sticky from the candy in his pocket.
The scoreboard read ten to one.
The skateboarder rumbles up the sidewalk.
Please pass me your teacup.
Did you gobble up your lunch?
I stayed home with a sore throat.
gobble
shone
driveway
throat
jolly
napkin
juggle
float
mouth
plenty
skateboard
teacher
Sunday
found
dizzy
penny
seashore
oatmeal
happy
bubble
sticky
teacup
daytime
shouting
apple
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading D
43
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Wonderful Day
Sunny day . . .
dream away .
Float on a cloud,
sing out loud,
sit on the grass,
time quickly will pass .
What great fun,
soaking in the sun .
This is the best summer day .
I wish it would not slip away .
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Wonderful Day
44
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Sounds
I like the sounds of lots of things,
Streams that babble, bells that ring .
Crunching leaves and buzzing bugs,
The chug-chug-chug of little tugs .
I like the sound of happy play,
Yells and shouts that come my way .
The giggles at my silly jokes .
A big toad’s loud and boastful croaks .
The drip-drips from a leaky tap,
Pop and crackle, snip and snap .
Sounds are lost and sounds are found .
Listen! They are all around!
oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsSounds
45
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ai
ai
sail
bail
nail
aim
brain
main
quaint
wait
air
stairway
taint
staid
wail
mailer
rain
rail
pail
claim
grain
pain
chain
wait
strait
fair
saint
aid
mailbox
sailfish
paid
hail
snail
gain
train
lain
stain
waist
hair
fairy
maintain
maid
ail
waif
braid
jail
tail
strain
plain
faint
bait
stair
pair
raid
haircut
sailboat
railroad
raincoat
fail
trail
drain
sprain
paint
gait
chair
fairest
Spain
laid
paintbrush
faith
airsick
46
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
New Sight Words
Review Sight Words
again, against, other, mother, brother, cover, father,
another
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who,
into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk,
want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something,
someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone,
both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange,
danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should, castle,
whistle, although, dough, doughnut, though
ai 47
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
In hail and rain, the men climbed up the mountain.
I slipped my letter into the mailslot.
The teacher told us not to cheat on the test.
Please stop bumping your chair against the wall.
My mother waited on the train until it was safe to leave.
Be careful not to fall on the slippery stairs.
A bucket is the same thing as a pail.
Josh was late, so I had to wait.
Did you paint the wall red?
The rain suddenly stopped.
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
finished
mountain
faint
snail
chair
waited
painted
mailslot
happen
toast
soak
train
sudden
pail
smacked
teacher
stair
stacking
around
bucket
outside
tray
treat
while
croak
bumping
doing
shouting
cheater
little
48
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Kind of Fairy Tale
“Rain, rain, go away .
Come again another day .
Little Sally wants to play .”
Sally just sat inside the house singing the song again
and again, but still it kept on raining . She felt sad . All she
wanted to do was to go out and play on her swing set .
She watched the pail that was sitting next to the slide fill
up with water . The shovel was floating at the top . The rain
made puddles in the sand in her sandbox .
A little snail was sitting on a rock letting the rain run
off its shell . A sailboat was just sitting in the middle of the
pond rocking in the waves made from the wind .
It was a gray day with no hope of sunshine sneaking into
the sky .
Sally’s mother walked into the kitchen where Sally was
sitting .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Kind of Fairy Tale
49
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“Sally, why don’t you find something to do? It will pass
the time more quickly than just sitting there moping about
the rain . Use your brain to think of something fun to do .”
Sally just sat slouched in the chair . She did not want to
get up . She just felt like sitting there complaining about
the rain, but Sally’s mother didn’t want another thing said
about the rain . It was no use to sit and complain to her
mother . Her mother didn’t want to hear it . So, Sally got up
and walked like a snail to sit on the couch .
As she was walking to the couch, Sally tripped on her
brother’s train set that he hadn’t picked up . The train
began to go on the tracks . This gave Sally a scare, and she
leaned near the train to stop it . As Sally reached for the
switch, a little fairy landed on her hand .
“Stop,” said the fairy . “I’m here to help you . Do not be
afraid .”
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Kind of Fairy Tale
50
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Sally lifted her hand up, and the little fairy landed in her
ear, where she whispered, “Come with me on the train to
the land of dreams . There you will find something to do on
this rainy day that will make you and others happy . It’s not
helpful to you to just sit around complaining . Rainy days
can be a time to do things that make the day happy without
the sun . You can make sunshine for yourself .”
Sally found herself shrinking to the size of the fairy . The
fairy had long, golden hair that hung to her waist . The
fairy had her hair in a long braid . She told Sally to hold
onto the braid as they climbed aboard the train . Sally heard
a train whistle, and off they went to the land of dreams .
In the land of dreams, the train stopped at a children’s
hospital . In this hospital, the children were sick and
couldn’t get out of bed . Sally felt sad that the children
couldn’t get up and play outside on rainy days or on sunny
days . Suddenly, Sally felt selfish that she had acted so
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Kind of Fairy Tale
51
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
grumpy . Surely there was something she could do to make
life a little better for these children .
Sally asked the fairy to take her back to her house . She
wanted to make something to make all the days for the
children sunny . The fairy was happy to take Sally back .
When Sally got home, she wrote letters to the children .
She sent them puzzles and made up riddles and mazes for
them . Sally was so happy that she was helping others that
she didn’t think about the rain . In fact, the sun began to
shine for Sally and the children .
Never again did Sally complain on a rainy day .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Kind of Fairy Tale
52
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Do you have a claim ticket to get your coat?
Last summer, June found a pure white pebble on the
sandy beach.
Be careful when you climb the ladder.
May-Ling’s hair is so long, it reaches her waist.
This small house has lots of stairs.
Which dogs have long tails?
My brother put on a monster costume and waited under
the stairs to scare me.
If I stretch, I am taller than you.
The plant is ten inches long.
Please pull your hair back into a braid.
away
afraid
found
waist
inches
trucks
house
trapped
running
reaches
airplane
careful
waited
pebble
stretch
best
plants
monster
hair
stairs
taller
tail
ladder
back
claim
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
53
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Just Like Old Times
Kit sat in the den, watching the rain fall outside . It just
kept raining and raining, and the puddles got bigger and
bigger . Kit grinned . The puddles made her think of Katlin .
When Kit was little, Katlin was her best pal . They were Kit
and Kat .
On a rainy day, sometimes Kit would call Kat . Other
times, Kat would call Kit . They would say the same thing .
“I will be outside before you!” Kit would say .
“No, you won’t!” Kat would say back . “I will be outside
before you!”
Both of them would scramble into raincoats and rubbers .
They would dash outside and almost run into one another .
Then the real fun began . They would splash in the puddles .
They would try to catch raindrops . They would slide on
the wet grass .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsJust Like Old Times
54
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Then at lunchtime, sometimes Kit’s mother would call
them in . At other times, it was Kat’s mother who called . Kit
and Kat would dash inside and take off the wet things . They
were careful not to trail mud into the house .
As they ate a hot lunch, they would tell jokes to make
each other giggle . They would put cold hands around mugs
of hot tea until they were all toasty . Then they would
quickly bundle up in raincoats and rubbers, and dash
outside to play some more .
But that was before Kat and her mother had left East
Oakdale . Now they were in another state . Kit missed her
old pal . They would e-mail each other all the time . But it
was just not the same . Rainy days were no fun without Kat .
They just made Kit sad .
She sat up . She could hear sounds from the kitchen .
There were whispers and giggles .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsJust Like Old Times
55
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
“What is going on?” Kit wondered . Was that her mom
on the stairs?
“May I come in?” someone asked . It was Kat!
“What are you doing here?” Kit shouted . She gave her
old pal a big hug . “It’s so funny . I was just thinking of you .
We had such fun on rainy days like this .”
“My mom had to come into East Oakdale . I talked her
into letting me come . So, let’s go! Get into your raincoat
and rubbers . There are mud puddles waiting outside!”
It was just like old times .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsJust Like Old Times
56
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
There are thousands of hairs on your head.
Rob lay dreaming in his bed.
May I be the speaker in the play?
The scale says that the dog is fifty pounds.
There is no peak I cannot climb.
I can play basketball inside in the winter.
Spring is baseball time.
The men helped to bring the whale from the sand to the sea.
“There must be two hundred ants,” Fred whispered to his
brother.
“Supper is ready,” said Mother.
butterfly
counter
outside
dreaming
happened
classes
prayed
mouth
until
tilted
understand
time
while
stone
coasted
explained
claim
really
skimmed
pounds
help
healing
dressed
bottom
fifty
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
57
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Sayings
Here are some old sayings . What do they mean to you?
It is raining cats and dogs .
A stitch in time saves nine .
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket .
Where there’s a will there’s a way .
They were eaten out of house and home .
We were in hot water!
He let the cat out of the bag .
She felt like a fish out of water .
Do to others as you would have them do to you .
He hit the nail on the head .
I have a frog in my throat .
The last one in is a rotten egg!
She is a real pack rat .
A rolling stone gathers no moss .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsSayings
58
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The rubber raft drifted in the pond.
The plant wilted in the hot sun.
Mother printed her list neatly on the notepad.
We will take the railroad train to the seacoast.
I went on a camping trip with Dad that lasted ten days.
Put on your bike helmet when you ride your bike.
Did you help your mom and dad before you left?
We were glad when the sad song ended.
The butter melted as the pan got hotter.
Libby lifted her chin and nodded.
sailboat
trumpet
maintain
problem
railroad
goal
racket
thunder
different
lifted
hairy
winning
seacoast
hundred
halter
bottle
helmet
traffic
happen
melted
jungle
helpful
muffin
watching
spotted
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading D
59
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Rainy Day Complaining
I watch the rain raining,
But I’m not complaining .
I don’t say it shouldn’t,
I just wish it wouldn’t .
Then I could be playing
Instead of just saying,
Where is the sun?
Where is my fun?
But wait, is it done?
Well, well, I must run!
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRainy Day Complaining
60
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
My Wish
If life were like a fairy tale,
Into the sky we all could sail .
We all would swim as well as fish,
And I would get what I most wish .
If life were like a fairy tale,
I’d sing just like a humpback whale .
And men would stop to hear the song
That I would sing out all day long .
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsMy Wish
61
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Sister and Brother Speak Out
“I have a little brother .
His name is Dave .
I wouldn’t want another .
He is so brave .
If I fell in the sea,
(I cannot swim!)
Dave would come save me,
So I love him .”
“I have an older sister .
Her name is Kate .
When she was gone, I missed her .
She is so great .
When I was sick in bed,
I just felt sad .
She told me jokes instead .
And made me glad!”
ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Sister and Brother Speak Out
62
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ee
see
glee
speech
seed
beef
creek
keel
seen
sweep
cheer
sheet
breeze
sleep
needle
greedy
teen
chimpanzee
fee
three
screech
weed
reef
meek
peel
screen
deep
creep
sweet
freeze
coffee
tweeze
sheepskin
weekend
nosebleed
bee
tree
deed
bleed
seek
eel
reel
keen
keep
beet
street
sneeze
teepee
sleepy
nineteen
treetop
asleep
flee
beech
feed
greed
week
feel
steel
queen
sheep
peep
feet
fleet
squeeze
indeed
fifteen
canteen
beehive
free
leech
need
reed
cheek
heel
seem
green
steep
deer
meet
greet
speedy
sixteen
volunteer
freedom
tumbleweed
ee
63
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
ee
New Sight Words
friend, been, people
Review Sight Words
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who,
into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk,
want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something,
someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone,
both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange,
danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should, castle,
whistle, although, dough, doughnut, though, again,
against, other, mother, brother, cover, father, another
64
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I feel like sleeping late today.
The tree branch broke when the heavy cat climbed it.
My feet feel cold from the puddles I stepped in.
This is the same kind of tree as that one.
The rain falling on my neck made me feel creepy.
Lee was a happy, sweet child.
The king and queen sat on golden thrones in the castle.
The man stiffened with fear as the robber came near.
The breeze felt a little cold on my back.
Do you need the salt and pepper?
breeze
little
happy
spelled
different
sleeping
herself
needed
sweet
printed
sadly
pepper
shade
puddle
creep
feet
stiffened
eating
tree
creepy
felt
feet
plate
branches
sheep
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
65
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A Fearful Tale
A ketch was sailing with a fleet of ships when a great
gust of wind came up . The sea became black and choppy,
tossing the big ships as if they were beanbags .
The skipper sat up in his bunk . He felt the rolling of the
sea and could hear the screeching wind . He rang the bell
calling all the mates to the upper deck . Then he quickly
dressed and climbed the deck ladder .
When the skipper came on deck, the wind and rain tore
into him . Hail beat against his cheek . He could barely see
the other ships in the fleet . He grabbed the ropes as the
ketch swung from side to side under the big sea swells .
Waves crashed on the deck, and the planks creaked from
the strain .
Each mate was squinting to see the skipper . They were
speechless with fear as they strained to hear him speak .
Deep inside, they were fearful . No one had seen such a
66 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Fearful Tale
66
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
wild sea before . Thick black clouds hung in the sky, waiting
to dump more rain and hail on the rolling ketch . The men
all wondered if the sea would sweep them off the decks to a
death at sea . Each man was thinking of home and wishing
he could be there, safe and sound .
As the skipper began to speak, a swell lifted up the ketch
and swept it on top of some rocks near the coast . The hull
was split, and the sea came gushing in .
The skipper yelled, “Get to the life rafts!” The men
jumped into the roaring black sea . They reached out
and clung to life rafts that were already floating on the
crashing waves .
They were a lucky bunch . Each man held onto the life
raft until he was close enough to drag himself to shore .
Then the men began to seek shelter from the rain . Some
went to huddle under trees, and some lay under rock cliffs .
Others found a small cave and kept safe there . They all
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Fearful Tale
67
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
were picked up after three days . They needed a hot meal
and dry clothes, but were happy to have cheated death .
As the skipper will tell you, the sea can be your best
friend . But it can also be mean and greedy, wanting to grab
and keep those who ride its waves . This time, though, the
greedy sea lost .
68 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Fearful Tale
68
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Will you sweep the kitchen, please?
Miss Wong is a proud teacher.
Jane got a nosebleed when she bumped her nose.
The teacher asked me to leave.
Did they call my number yet?
The tugboat whistled and pushed the ship into the dock.
The screen kept the fly out.
You can pull that hair out with the tweezers.
You sneeze when you have a cold.
The sweet grapes were ready to be picked.
sleepy
number
struggle
seek
sweep
kitchen
sneeze
nosebleed
next
inspire
unless
indeed
bolder
battles
teaching
instead
queen
dreaming
grateful
awake
proudly
cheek
maiden
cheer
rested
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
69
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Live Your Dream
When James Steel was little, he dreamed of olden times,
when men were brave and bold . He could see himself
roaming strange lands on his big white steed . He called his
steed Wind Sweeper, and she was as swift as the wind . He
would do great deeds .
Sometimes, he would save a fair maiden from danger .
She would give him a kiss and thank him sweetly . He
would not speak . He would just smile proudly .
Sometimes he would help a king and queen . They would
be so grateful to him that they would hand him bags filled
with gold . He would take the gold and give it to people
who needed it more than he did . They would cheer as he
rode off on Wind Sweeper .
When James Steel was a teen, he could see himself
sailing the seas . He would skipper a sleek ship . He called
his ship Wind Sweeper, and it was as swift as the wind . He
70 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsLive Your Dream
70
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
and his men would sail Wind Sweeper around the globe .
They would do great deeds .
Sometimes they would save people who had been swept
out to sea . Sometimes they would find people who had
washed up on lonely shores . Other times, he and his mates
would battle against dangerous men who wanted to steal gold
from the queen’s fleet . No matter where they were, people
would cheer when he and his men sailed off on Wind Sweeper .
Such were James Steel’s dreams . When he was a man,
he held onto his dreams of wanting to do great deeds . He
became a teacher . Sometimes when he talked, he would
take his class to olden times . Sometimes he would take
them around the globe . And when he was done speaking,
his class would cheer .
One day, a friend told James, “You really did hold onto
your dreams . You are still doing great deeds and helping
people . That’s what a teacher does!”
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsLive Your Dream
71
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Steve Reeves was a grumpy, greedy, man.
The robber waited fifteen years until he was free to leave jail.
I hope your mother feels better.
The toast was quickly toasting in the toaster.
Would you like some coffee with your muffin?
Father will mend the rip in your pants with a needle and
thread.
Meanwhile, please wait in the kitchen.
I understand that you’d like to stay here all of the week.
The bees are buzzing around the beehive.
What will you do this weekend?
waited
understand
happening
meanwhile
sheepskin
fifteen
toasting
different
summer
sixteen
felt
quickly
under
helping
coffee
better
stayed
small
winter
freedom
feels
jumped
ground
kitchen
greedy
72 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
72
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
This Will Pass
Neal was a sweet kid . He was happy with himself when
it came to most things . But he was not happy with his feet .
Neal felt his feet were just so big .
He complained to his mother . “The problem with my
feet,” said Neal, “is that they are as big as boat paddles .
They drive me nuts . Watch me run, Mom . See? I keep
tripping on my big feet . They make me feel creepy .”
Sometimes he would just sit and stare at his feet . “I can
feel them getting bigger,” he would joke . “When will they
stop? When they are as big as boats? Then I won’t fit in
my bed . My feet will stick out from the sheets . They won’t
make sneakers big enough to fit my big feet! People will gasp
when I come flapping my big feet as I walk up the street .”
“Cheer up, Neal,” said his mother . “I don’t see a problem
with your feet . They may have gotten bigger . But the rest of
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThis WIll Pass
73
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
you will catch up . You are still young . At this rate, you will
be a tall man, like your dad . He loves being tall!”
Neal began to think . “Basketball players are tall . Maybe
I can play basketball some day .” He sat back, lost in a
dream . “I can see myself in a big game . I speed up the lane .
I get the pass . I cut to the basket and dunk the ball with
ease . Score!” Neal leaped up as he spoke .
His mother gave him a gleeful smile . “Way to go,
Champ!” she cheered .
Neal grinned back . He propped his feet up on the chair
beside him . “Well, feet, get as big as you want . We’re
going to play basketball some day!”
“Yes, feet,” said his mother . “But meanwhile, stay off
my chair .” She pushed Neal’s feet off the chair as she
winked at him .
74 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThis Will Pass
74
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
They added the number to the scoreboard.
I climbed to the top of the mountain and stayed and waited.
The children stay at this camp all week.
Do you like my haircut?
I cannot scratch the itch on my back.
You are walking like a snail.
Can you reach the upper shelf?
Children like to jump into mud puddles.
Loudly and clearly the thunder rumbles in the summer sky.
Funny sounds came from the big house on Tenth Street.
scoreboard
fleet
giggle
indeed
haircut
happen
yourself
basket
itch
raining
mountain
children
seek
upper
jumped
puddle
monster
rumble
stopped
bed
snail
taller
free
week
ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading D
75
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Bee and a Flea
A mean old bee and a sleepy flea
Had made a plan to come get me!
The bee said, “I’ll sting you and make you yell!”
The flea said, “I’ll bite you . You’ll itch and swell!”
Then I said, “But wait! Let’s play hide-and-seek .
I will go and hide . You can seek all week!”
So off I ran in a cloud of dust .
The bee couldn’t see, and the dusty flea fussed .
I ran and ran, I was fleet as a deer .
The bee and flea were gaining . I was filled with fear .
I climbed up a pine tree, and there I hid .
Both of them gave up on me . They really did!
I grinned, sang, and hummed . I was happy to be free .
But listen, can you help me get out of this tree?
76 ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Bee and a Flea
76
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
oo (food)
oo (food)
too
tool
boom
moon
droop
broom
choose
poor
doomed
toadstool
zoo
whoop
loot
spooky
ooze
rooster
noodle
toothbrush
moody
roof
stool
bloom
noon
stoop
root
coo
smooth
mushroom
goof
bedroom
loom
snoop
root
igloo
afternoon
doodle
toothpick
roomy
spool
gloom
spoon
hoop
boot
coop
soothe
boo
foolish
booth
bathroom
zoom
swoop
scoot
tattoo
boost
teaspoon
raccoon
toot
food
gloomy
tablespoon
goose
shoot
scoop
troop
moo
noose
moose
hoot
scooter
bamboo
booster
zookeeper
pool
room
cool
proof
soon
loop
loose
tooth
classroom
shampoo
groom
boomerang
goofy
drool
roost
poodle
broomstick
groove
scooped
foolproof
roommate
toothpaste
77
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
78 oo (cook)
oo (cook)cook
childhood
woodpile
shook
brooks
hoof
booklet
footpath
checkbook
book
stood
woodshed
took
crook
woolly
bookshelf
footprint
pocketbook
good
understood
hook
look
crooked
woolen
bookcase
footstool
woodpecker
notebook
good-by
wood
wool
looked
goody
foot
bookkeeper
understood
textbook
hood
woods
fishhook
brook
goodness
footstep
barefoot
woodchuck
woodcutter
78
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
New Sight Words
oo
move, prove, shoe, truth, fruit, suit, bruise, cruise, whom,
whose, wolf, wolves
Review Sight Words
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who,
into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk,
want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something,
someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone,
both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange,
danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should, castle,
whistle, although, dough, doughnut, though, again,
against, other, mother, brother, cover, father, another,
friend, been, people
79
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Beside her was a basket of soft, gray wool.
He stopped to look inside.
The sun slipped behind the mountain tops.
It was time for the sun to set.
The friends sat on a smooth rock.
I’m in a grouchy mood.
In a while I’ll feel better, and I’ll be more pleasant to be
around.
She has always been so fond of children.
He promptly got up and walked away.
When the cake plate and teapot were both empty, Mother
filled them.
80 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
blanket
paintbrush
rattlesnake
himself
smoothly
outside
picked
reached
plants
nodded
quickly
inside
mouth
around
hugged
path
look
afraid
bundle
snoop
stopped
better
looked
shyly
rooster
80
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
A Lesson
Heather lived on the same street as Dave . She always
went to Dave’s house after school . They had been best
friends from the time they met .
One day before she left for school, Heather slipped her
father’s hammer into her backpack . She was aware that her
father would not be happy if he found it gone . He always
said that she could use the tools when he was with her . But
he insisted that she should not use them by herself . She
fooled herself into thinking that he wouldn’t mind if she
used them with Dave . Plus, she intended to put the hammer
back before her father got home, so he wouldn’t miss it .
When Heather took the hammer out of her backpack,
Dave was speechless . He was so happy to see the hammer . At
last they could finish the clubhouse! Dave found some nails in
the shed, and he and Heather headed to the woods to begin .
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Lesson
81
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
All was going well . Dave nailed the boards, and Heather
sanded them smooth . When the boards were smoothed,
Dave and Heather planned to paint them . Dave was up on
the roof of the clubhouse, pounding a loose board, when
Heather began yelling . He quickly checked to see what was
the matter . Heather was standing on a stool in back of the
clubhouse and yelling . Dave’s sister had a pet goose . It had
gotten loose and was standing there, hissing at Heather .
The goose did not like the sound of the sanding . Dave got
a broom and shooed the goose back into its pen . “That was
close,” said Heather . “I almost fell off this stool!”
Dave went back to pounding with the hammer . Heather
reached up to sand a spot near him, and her sleeve became
snagged on a nail that was sticking out . Dave fixed the snag
and the nail, and went back to his hammering .
But soon Heather was whimpering softly . She didn’t
want to bother Dave again, but she had a sliver in her hand,
and she couldn’t get it out .
82 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Lesson
82
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
This was one time Dave couldn’t help . Heather and
Dave went into the house to look for his mother .
Dave’s mother washed Heather’s hand and found a pair
of tweezers . She pulled the sliver out and put a bandage on
the little cut . Dave’s mother looked at Dave . “Dave, what
is that in your left hand?” Dave was still holding Heather’s
father’s hammer .
“Oh, this is just . . . .” At the same time that Dave was
beginning to tell his mother, Heather’s dad came to pick
her up . He stood in the hall and looked at the hammer in
Dave’s hand . Then he looked at Heather, who was looking
quite gloomy . “Well, Heather, get your things and my
hammer . It has been a long day, and I can see it is not going
to end too soon . We’ll talk on the way home .” Heather
understood . She quickly grabbed what she needed and got
into her father’s van . It would take a while to earn back her
father’s trust . She felt bad and wished she had listened .
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Lesson
83
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Please hang your coat on the hook.
Did you tell the truth?
I would like to invite you to come for a swim in our pool.
This shampoo will get your hair clean.
Does this boot fit on your foot?
When I step on this plant, slime oozes out.
The man had a snake tattoo on his back.
The zookeeper feeds the animals at noontime.
It is a fact that I love you!
The raccoon got into the trash and scattered it all around
the street.
spooky
igloo
footstool
swimming
paintbrush
speak
goodness
doodle
notebook
shampoo
tooth
players
lunch
treetop
teeth
belong
candle
eat
oatmeal
rest
sticks
moose
cleaner
breakfast
sixteen
84 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
84
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Shooting Hoops
Dan Maxwell really wanted to make the school basketball
team in the fall . He was not much of a shooter, but he still
had a glimmer of hope that he could make the team . He had
all spring and summer to get ready .
Day after day, Dan would shoot baskets with his friends .
Time and time again, he would miss the hoop, but he kept
trying until he dunked one . When that happened, his
friends would cheer loudly .
Dan could dribble the ball better than most of the other
kids . He could dribble it in front and just as well in back .
He could dribble under his legs and all around the other
players . He was quick and nimble on his feet, and no one
could get the ball away from him . He was so quick that
they could never tell which way he was going to go . When
the other team made a pass, Dan would pick it off . He was
always stealing the ball . He could block shots, too .
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsShooting Hoops
85
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Dan could pass the ball well, too, setting up other
players so that they made baskets . But when he shot the
ball, it would just clunk off the rim . Still, Dan never gave
up . After a while, his foul shooting got a bit better, but not
by much . His other shots were still not falling .
The day of tryouts came . Dan did his best but missed all
of his shots . He was still running, passing, stealing passes,
and blocking shots . He just wasn’t sinking his shots . The
coach watched Dan carefully . When the time came to
choose players to fill the slots, Dan Maxwell was number
one . The coach said that Dan would be a great team
member . With him on the team, the other team would
never get hold of the ball!
Dan’s best friend, Alvin Mays, was also picked . Alvin was
a great shooter . With the two of them on board, their team
won almost every game that year .
Good things can happen when you don’t give up!
86 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsShooting Hoops
86
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The air was filled with the stinky smell of a skunk.
He stayed in the water a long time.
It was a sweet, splendid spring day.
A tree branch hit Gil on the head.
It was so cold, Amber wore a pair of woolen socks on top
of a pair of cotton socks.
My brother always snores when he sleeps.
I plopped in the chair and promptly fell asleep.
The woodpile became smaller as winter went on.
Kay has a small bedroom that she shares with her sister.
We will shoot hoops this afternoon.
beginning
whispered
winter
spring
woodpile
happened
keeping
tucked
splendid
suddenly
finished
bedroom
sweet
woolen
afternoon
plopped
small
again
snore
digging
explained
puffing
cheek
moose
splashed
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
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Rainy Day Picnic
“It’s such a rainy, cloudy, gloomy day,” said Milly . “To
tell the truth, I feel like climbing back into bed and pulling
the blankets on top of my head . Our plans for going on a
picnic at noon are doomed! This rain is not going to let
up .” She sat in the big den chair, helplessly watching the
rain as it streamed from the roof and made muddy pools on
the ground .
Milly’s mother nodded . She understood why Milly
was upset, but she didn’t like to see her sitting there
complaining . Milly’s mother felt that people should always
try to make the best of things . “We can’t swim in our
pool,” said Milly . “Why did this cool, rainy spell of weather
have to happen? We can’t shoot hoops outside because the
basketball hoop is dripping wet . And rain is streaming from
the roof and leaving big puddles all around the house .”
88 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRainy Day Picnic
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“Look at those ducks out by the pond,” said Milly’s
mother . “They are glad that it’s raining .”
“Well, maybe so,” said Milly, still in a bad mood, “but
I’m not a duck, and my friends are not ducks .”
“Look at the plants,” Milly’s mother went on . “They are
getting the water they needed so badly . Their roots were
drying out . But just look at them . They are standing tall
and proud, so happy that it’s raining .”
“Well, the plants may be happy, but not me,” said Milly
glumly .
“And look at that brook,” Milly’s mother went on
cheerfully . Nothing was going to stop her from trying to
boost Milly’s feelings . “That brook was drying up before .
Look at it bubble and babble . It’s so happy to see all this rain!”
Milly was beginning to understand . It didn’t make her
feel good to sit around and complain . It didn’t make her
mother feel good to hear her complain . Complaining didn’t
make the rain stop .
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRainy Day Picnic
89
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“Why don’t I call my friends,” Milly said to her mother .
“We can make some other plans .”
“That’s my gal,” said Milly’s mother . “Why not have
your friends come here and do a bake-and-eat day?”
“What a great plan!” Milly shouted . Soon she had called
all her friends . With her mother’s help, Milly made a list
of good foods that she and her friends could make, and got
everything ready . She got out the flour, salt, yeast, spoons,
teaspoons, milk, water, pots, pans, and lots of other things .
They were going to have a fun day after all!
Meanwhile, Milly’s mother put on her rain slicker and went
out to the woodshed to get some wood . She came back loaded
with logs and lit a fire in the family room . She got blankets
from the hall and laid them on the floor . Milly and her friends
could still have their picnic . It just wouldn’t be outside .
It never did stop raining that day, but no one seemed
to mind!
90 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsRainy Day Picnic
90
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Before winter comes, the woodchuck eats a lot.
It stuffs itself with grass and becomes fat.
The woodchuck lives in an underground den.
Beavers save food to eat in winter.
Use the shampoo to wash your hair.
She stood carefully on the stool to reach the basket.
The wind tore some small branches off the tree.
The beaver made a dam in the nearby lake.
The poodle understood what his master wanted him to do.
Benny wanted to win the contest.
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading D
happy
booth
someone
wood
woodchuck
understood
shampoo
teach
branches
carefully
reached
poodle
beaver
food
walked
began
nearby
hungry
save
finish
rested
strong
really
teeth
bedroom
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A Good Rule
From here to there, it’s understood,
To brag too much is not so good .
People should, I think, be kind,
And good in others they should find .
Everyone has something great,
To think you’re best is a mistake .
We all have something good to give .
So by this rule, we all should live .
92 oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Good Rule
92
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Goofy Zoo
There was a zookeeper who lived in a zoo .
He had a baboon, a raccoon, and a cockatoo, too,
A rooster that always flew the coop,
A kangaroo that jumped through a hoop,
A moose that was always getting loose,
And a goose that felt he was a moose .
He had a snake with a man tattoo,
And a goat that always said moo .
He had a poodle that only ate noodles,
And an ape that always made doodles .
He had a woodchuck that always chucked wood,
And a woodpecker that on his head stood .
This zookeeper became a little goofy, it’s true .
But if you were he, so would you!
oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsGoofy Zoo
93
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igh
New Sight Word
Review Sight Words
94 igh
fight
tight
fright
fighting
night
bright
frighten
brightly
light
flight
lighten
lightning
might
sigh
mighty
right
sight
tightly
sign
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who, into, of,
full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk, want, live, give,
have, one, done, some, come, something, someone, where,
there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone, both, climb, clothes,
they, says, today, goes, does, strange, danger, listen, wonder,
could, would, should, castle, whistle, although, dough,
doughnut, though, again, against, other, mother, brother,
cover, father, another, friend, been, people, move, prove, shoe,
truth, fruit, suit, bruise, cruise, whom, whose, wolf, wolves
94
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The peacock proudly spread his bright feathers.
Do not ride your skateboard on this sidewalk.
The crackers were lightly toasted.
The clock will chime at ten.
The swimmer was sleepy after the long swim.
The moon shone brightly in the night sky.
The big dog frightened the small child.
The light on our street is quite bright.
Did you miss your flight?
This dress is too tight.
light
driveway
crackers
lightest
really
outside
brain
nineteen
shine
toasted
shampoo
cleaning
swimmer
flames
skateboard
understood
handful
sleepy
chime
proudly
bright
peanut
shone
frisky
peacock
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
95
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A Crash in the Night
The raccoon sat and waited for all the lights in the
house to go out . It was a great night to raid some trash cans
for food . The moon shone brightly and lit his way, so he
could see everything well . He had been waiting a long time
and was as hungry as he could be . He could see a chicken
bone sticking out of a plastic bag . The sight of such lovely
food made him drool .
The raccoon walked lightly so as not to make a sound .
Little animals scattered out of his way . He looked like a
bandit in the night hunting for a bank to rob .
Suddenly, the raccoon jumped . He had run into a pile
of tin cans that were stacked next to the trash pile . The
cans tumbled to the ground . The loud bang frightened the
raccoon, and he made a fast dash back into the woods .
All the lights in the house went on . A man came out of
the house . He walked to the back and checked the lock to
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Crash in the Night
96
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make sure it was latched . He looked around . He could see
that the trash had been tampered with . He pulled the trash
can into the shed . “I’ll put it out in the daytime for the
trash men when all these pesky night animals are sleeping,”
he said to himself . Then he went back inside .
The raccoon looked around . It dashed off into the
woods . There were plenty of other trash cans to try . He
would find some dinner before the night was through .
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsA Crash in the Night
97
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Dad cut the copper wire with wire cutters.
The thunder and lightning made a loud rumbling sound and
a flash.
The lightning bug is a wonderful insect.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
The plants along the coast are different from the plants inland.
You are welcome to come home with me.
The nearer I get, the better you look.
Dad rushes home from his job to cook dinner before we
get home.
The biggest cloud dumped the most rain.
I counted six sunny days and one cloudy day last week.
found
thunder
nearer
talking
coast
lightning
always
wonderful
mammals
copper
different
strong
things
counted
welcome
jumps
rushes
helps
plants
biggest
cloud
flashed
light
flame
rumbling
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
98
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Light
Back when people lived in caves, they could not light up
their homes by pushing a button, flipping a switch, pulling
a chain, or lighting a lamp or candle with a match . The
light they had to use at night was moonlight or the light of
a bonfire .
Today we can make night into day both inside and
outside . Streets are lit all night long . Lights let baseball
players play at night . People can stay at their jobs at night .
There isn’t a job or game that has to stop because it is
nighttime and the daylight is gone .
In the beginning, people most likely used a burning stick
of thick wood for light . People then found out that sticks
gave better light if the ends were dipped in animal fat, or in
pitch . Racks were put on the walls to hold the lit sticks, so
people could see without the bother of having to hold the
sticks themselves .
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsLight
99
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Then people came up with an even better way to light
their homes . They would dip a string made of moss or
grassy plants, which is called a wick, into something fatty,
such as beeswax . They would dip the wick many times,
until the wax got thick around the wick . When it was lit, it
would shine brightly and last a long time . We still use such
candles today .
More than one hundred years ago, people discovered
that gas was a good way to make lights in lamps that would
stay lit and not go out . These lamps were used to light
streets and houses . The gas came to the lamps from pipes .
Gas lamps could not be moved from place to place, but
they made good street lights and wall lights .
This all may seem funny to us, but it is the way it was .
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsLight
100
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You can sweep a room with a broom.
The mouse was frightened by the trap.
Did you complete the job?
The candy made a sticky mess in the child’s pocket.
Do not put those plastic bags in the trash.
The rooster was hungry and wanted to be fed.
The little wild animals scattered as we walked on the path
in the woods.
The man can juggle three balls at the same time.
Pat’s flight was late.
I might enter the cooking contest.
raccoon
scattered
toothbrush
sticky
mistake
frighten
animals
ruffle
messy
complete
flashed
walked
juggle
hungry
Steve
pile
plastic
sunny
battle
earmuffs
mouth
hunting
flight
slide
rooster
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
101
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The Lightning Bug
A lightbulb gets hot when it’s lighted . Candles and gas
lamps, too, give off heat as well as light . But some insects
can give off light without heat . The lightning bug is just
such an insect . It gives off “cold light .” The lightning bug
gets its name from the light on its belly that flashes on and
off . It is also called a firefly .
A lightning bug is not a bug, and it’s not a fly . It is a
beetle . The light from a group of lightning bugs is bright
enough to read by, if you don’t mind blinking lights . Long
ago, the Aztecs in Mexico had lightning bugs help them
light the way at night .
Lightning bugs use their lights to find mates . A male
lightning bug flashes his light as a signal, while flying
through the air . A nearby female lightning bug, waiting on
the ground, sees the signal . She flashes back her light to the
male, so he can see where she is .
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Lightning Bug
102
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Lightning bugs lay eggs on the ground . A young lightning
bug takes 1–2 years to become an adult . It cannot flash a
light until then . Adult lightning bugs live just 5–30 days .
Do you want to see where the light comes from on a
lightning bug? Go out at night, just after the sun sets . If
you see a small flashing light in the air, you have found a
lightning bug . Carefully close your hands around it . Peek
inside to see the lightning bug’s display of light . After you
take a good look, let the lightning bug go free .
igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Lightning Bug
103
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ie (pie)
104 ie
pie
try
fly
cry
fry
dry
sky
spy
tie
tries
flies
cries
fries
dries
skies
spies
lie
tried
cried
fried
dried
die
drier
ie (chief)chief
brief
tier
thief
field
shield
thieves
priest
grief
belief
yield
grieve
believe
fairies
104
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New Sight Words
ie
any, many
Review Sight Words
the, has, is, a, his, I, was, to, do, said, what, you, who,
into, of, full, pull, push, put, through, your, walk, talk,
want, live, give, have, one, done, some, come, something,
someone, where, there, were, are, somewhere, love, gone,
both, climb, clothes, they, says, today, goes, does, strange,
danger, listen, wonder, could, would, should, castle,
whistle, although, dough, doughnut, though, again,
against, other, mother, brother, cover, father, another,
friend, been, people, move, prove, shoe, truth, fruit, suit,
bruise, cruise, whom, whose, wolf, wolves, sign
105
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I made fresh apple pie last night.
Wolves live in the big woods, and so do bears and wildcats.
The small child lay awake in the trundle bed.
The man strapped his bundle on his back and climbed to the
top of the mountain.
Mother stayed up late to see what time my brother would
come home.
Mother finished mending the pants and then smoothed them
with her hands.
Mel climbed the steep stairs to Fred’s room.
No one was at the ticket booth, so they could not go through
the turnstile.
The toddler tugged at his mother’s coat sleeve.
They stood out of the wind at the head of the line.
pie
temper
ugly
bundle
lied
sleeping
besides
across
light
shrimp
away
master
soft
chief
mouth
rested
fed
path
played
seemed
puddle
foods
passed
field
flapping
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading A
106
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The Oak and the Reeds
A big oak stood in a field beside a brook . In the brook
were many slender reeds .
When a gust of wind came along, the great oak stood
proudly upright . Its great branches stretched up to the skies .
But the little reeds bent in the wind and sang a sad song .
“I see why you are complaining,” said the oak . He was
kind and tried to be friendly to those around him . “The
slightest breeze that ruffles the grass makes you bend and
sway . Meanwhile I, a great oak, stand tall and proud in the
strongest wind .”
“But we are just fine,” said the little reeds . “We do not
mind the wind . We yield to his gusts so that we do not break .
You are too proud to bend, great oak . You have been lucky
these many years, but be careful . The end may be near .”
But the oak just shook its branches . “I will not yield to
some weak puff of air that chooses to push at my leaves,”
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Oak and the Reeds
107
S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
he told the little reeds . “I do not believe that this would be
a good thing to do . After all, I am the king of this field . I
must stand tall .”
The reeds just sighed and went back to singing their sad
song . As they sang, a mighty wind rushed out of the west .
The oak stood proudly against it, while the reeds yielded
and bent in the wind .
The wind got stronger . . . and stronger . . . and stronger .
It flattened the grasses and plants of the field . It whipped
the slender little reeds around . Suddenly the great oak tree,
king of the field, was uprooted . It fell to the ground with a
loud crash and died . The reeds in the brook, still standing,
were filled with grief to see such a sight . They cried and
sang their sad song .
And here is the lesson of this tale: It is better to yield when
you cannot win. If you do not give in, you may be lost .
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Oak and the Reeds
108
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The tot cried when his mother left.
Would you like some more fries?
I tried to get home before nightfall.
I like apple pie.
Do not tell a lie. Always tell the truth!
The flies landed on the trash and had a feast.
The wash on the line dried in the sun.
We played baseball in the grassy field.
I tried to tell you not to go.
The moon shone brightly in the night sky.
tried
mountain
spies
thing
treated
brightly
waiting
looked
drier
meat
angry
happy
fountain
needles
field
golden
found
rigging
stitches
belief
skies
before
grade
outline
useful
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading B
109
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To Tell the Truth
Sometimes it is tempting to tell a fib . We may think
that it’s all right to tell a fib, because it’s just a little lie .
Sometimes we do it to impress someone . We might tell a
fib to make ourselves feel more important or because we
think this will make someone like us better . We might
say that we have something that we really don’t have, or
that we went somewhere that we really didn’t go . But big
or little, we are still telling a lie . We need and want our
family, friends and teachers to trust us and believe us . If we
don’t always tell the truth, they may not believe us when
we do tell the truth . This is what happened to the boy who
cried wolf . Here is the tale .
There was once a boy whose job it was to watch a flock
of sheep eating grass in the field . In the nearby woods lived
a wolf that would try to eat the sheep from time to time .
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsTell the Truth
110
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Alone and with no one to talk to, the boy became bored
one day . So he played a joke .
“Wolf! Wolf!” he cried, and the people came running,
ready to catch the wolf and save the sheep . They found the
boy rolling on the grass, giggling . They were filled with
relief that the flock was safe . But then they felt foolish and
got angry . They didn’t think the joke was funny and told
the boy so . They told him not to call for help when he
really didn’t need it, and then they all left .
The next day, the boy did the same thing to amuse
himself . He called, “Wolf! Wolf!” Again the people came
running . When they got to the field and saw the boy
giggling, they became quite angry . They left, grumbling to
each other about how rude and selfish he was .
The next day, a big wolf really did attack the sheep . The
boy cried, “Wolf! Wolf!”
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsTo Tell the Truth
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But this time the people in the nearby fields would not
be fooled again and no one came to help . They didn’t
believe the boy because he had told lies before .
The wolf killed all the sheep in the poor boy’s flock, and
he was ashamed . His lies had cost him a painful lesson .
Moral: If you often lie, or cry “Wolf,” people may not
believe you when you are telling the truth .
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsTo Tell the Truth
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S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
I love to play with my puppies.
The air was cold and frosty.
I would love to take a cruise on a ship.
A yield sign can help with traffic.
May I please have just a teaspoon of milk in my tea?
Mother sat by the fire to spin the wool on the
spinning wheel.
The child cried when his mother left.
I will climb to the top of the mountain in the summer.
Trucks can drive faster on a highway.
When a dog is happy, it will wag its tail.
puppies
mountain
frighten
summer
house
almost
bedroom
fire
snail
trotting
pier
happened
spin
shampoo
frosty
cruise
tool
patch
yield
wishes
highest
left
misty
teaspoon
cried
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsDecoding and Sentence Reading C
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S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
The Little Golden Fairy
Connie loved to read . She would read day and night if
her mother let her . She had a room full of books . Connie
often said that books were wonderful friends .
All she had to do was pick a book, she would say, and
she could go anywhere she wanted . She could fly the skies,
cruise the seas, or climb the highest mountains . Connie
never felt bored when there were books around .
One of the things Connie loved to read about most were
fairies, like Tinkerbell . She liked to think that good fairies
would help people and often wished that one could visit
her . One night, a strange thing happened to Connie .
She was getting ready for bed . As she reached out to
switch off the bedside lamp, there was a flash of light .
Connie cried out in fright and shivered in fear . The light
became a small twinkling dot . This dot sat on the top of
Connie’s lampshade . She could feel a soft breeze around it .
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Golden Fairy
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S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
Connie looked closely at the dot . She could see that it was
something that was flapping its little wings to make the
breeze . It sat on the lampshade for a brief time, and then it
lit upon the headboard of Connie’s bed . Connie watched
it as it sat there, and she became less frightened . Then she
inched nearer to see what it was .
Connie could not believe what she saw! Before her sat
a fairy with golden wings and silky, golden hair . The fairy
gave a wave to Connie and told Connie that her name was
the Little Golden Fairy .
The Little Golden Fairy had come to ask for Connie’s
help . She was not just any fairy, it seemed . The Fairy
Queen had sent her . The Fairy Queen and all the fairies
felt that children were watching so much TV these days
that they no longer had time to read great books . They felt
that children were missing so much by not reading about
the wonderful things that happened in these books . And
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Golden Fairy
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S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy
the more wonderful things you read about in books, they
felt, the more wonderful things you would see when you
looked all around you .
The Fairy Queen needed help to get the children away
from TV and into books .
She had sent the Little Golden Fairy to ask Connie to help .
Connie was more than happy to help! This was her
dream come true . She and the Little Golden Fairy came up
with a great plan .
The next day at school, Connie talked with her teacher .
She asked if she could make signs to put up around the
school to get others interested in reading . Her teacher
told her to go right ahead . So Connie made signs . One
said, “I SPY,” and then had a list of good books to read .
Another sign had a group of children climbing a mountain
and said in big letters, “YOU GET TO THE TOP BY
READING .” The kids in the school were impressed by
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly,
vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Golden Fairy
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Connie’s signs and began looking for the books listed
there . They took the books home . And the more they read,
the less they watched TV .
The Little Golden Fairy was glad . She thanked Connie,
and gave her a light little kiss on the cheek . She told
Connie that the Fairy Queen would be very grateful .
Connie says she believes that the Little Golden Fairy
visits her from time to time . When her lamp sometimes
flickers, she believes it’s the Little Golden Fairy’s way of
saying, “Keep up the reading and pass it on .”
ie, igh, oo, ee, ai, oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division,review twin-consonant syllable division, suffixes, -ed, ay, exceptions, so, he, fly, vowel-consonant-e, tch, ck, qu, wa, al, ff, ll, ss, sh, ch, th, wh, ng, nk, short vowelsThe Golden Fairy
117
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Reading Excellence for Every Student
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Sheila Clark-Edmands
3rd Edition3rd Edition
Specialized Program Individualizing Reading ExcellenceSpecialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence
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