SPIRE Level 4

READER LEVEL 4

3rd Edition

Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence

Sheila Clark-Edmands

®

Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence

3rd Edition

Reader

Level 4

Sheila Clark-Edmands

Editorial Project Manager: Tracey Newman
Senior Editor: Laura A. Woollett
Assistant 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 2011
ISBN 978-0-8388-5712-0

1 2 3 4 5 PPG 15 14 13 12 11

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

Contents 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

iv 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

Contents v



ea (eat)

eat ear each mean dear
leaf weak year seat east
team meat real hear bead
read leak beak peak heal
meal lean heap tear leap
seam bean reap reach peach
beach teach wheat clear clean
cheap speak streak sneak steam
squeak dream cream treat beast
beat heat neat feast yeast
least sea tea leave weave
heave eaves flea each seal
steal beam leak stream please
ease fear near shear bleach
leash tease deal reason sneaker

ea (eat) 1

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

ea (bread)

head already dead bread
lead threaten
ready thread deaf wealthy
wealth weather
spread healthy leather heavy
breath instead
health feather
break greater
meant sweater wear tear

sweat threat

breakfast

ea (steak)

steak great
bear pear

Review Sight Words

the, 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 ea (bread, steak)

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

treat matching singing joke
prize costume dear read
mouse real neat sea
peach problem stayed helmet
speaker hear here 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.

ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, 3
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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading A

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?”

4 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 vowels
Basketball Dreams

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, 5
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 vowels

Basketball Dreams

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

each ease round bigger
summer foggy napkin drive
himself teach teacher teabag
landfill careful basket cream
peas speak speaker pound
ouch dream meal insult

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.

6 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 vowels
Decoding and Sentence Reading B

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, 7
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 vowels

A Funny Snack

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.

8 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 vowels
A Funny Snack

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

dreaming contest costume bread head
shouting useless dentist rubber lunch
grounded reptile teacher butter stayed
hottest helmet sneaker puffin upset
peach pouted played cloudy until

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.

ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant syllable division, 9
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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading C

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.

10 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 vowels
The King of Peanut Butter

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, 11
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 vowels

The King of Peanut Butter

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.

12 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 vowels
The King of Peanut Butter

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

Consonant -le syllables

ble  cle  dle  fle  gle  kle  ple  tle  zle

thim|ble  sim|ple  lit|tle

ble cle dle fle
bubble uncle middle riffle
stumble handle sniffle
tumble puddle raffle
rumble saddle ruffle
tremble riddle
thimble bundle
double
couple
trouble

consonant-le syllables 13

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

gle kle ple tle zle
wiggle buckle simple little puzzle
giggle pickle apple rattle muzzle
shingle tickle dimple cattle guzzle
jingle chuckle pimple kettle dazzle
tingle twinkle temple bottle drizzle
jungle sprinkle topple sizzle
juggle tackle
tangle crackle
mangle grackle

New Sight Words

castle, whistle

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

14 consonant-le syllables

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

buckle simple candle teacher
snapping thunder under cracker
inside fussy house understand
funny riddle apple bravely
played staying stuck fled
thanks tumble saddle treat
seating ticket picnic raffle

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 15

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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading A

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.”

16 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 vowels
A Simple Cold

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 17

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 vowels

A Simple Cold

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.

18 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 vowels
A Simple Cold

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

swinging dishpan jumped house eat
little pocket real
getting climbed cross hands deaf
landed better couch
stove Benny treats shell round
ready child found
mouse things

packer neatly

bottle meatless

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.

consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant 19

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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading B

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.

20 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 vowels
A Great Mess

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 21

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 vowels

A Great Mess

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!”

22 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 vowels
A Great Mess

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

speaking staying sprout dinner our
tickle round leaf
problem shouted summer reach must
really napkin read
cleaning himself picnic lonely tell
flour mean clam
feather lifting

proudly grass

thank asked

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.

consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review twin-consonant 23

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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading C

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

24 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 vowels
Miss Giggle-Higgle

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 25

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 vowels
Miss Giggle-Higgle

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.

26 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 vowels
Miss Giggle-Higgle

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

oa

oak toad loaf load road
soak moan
boat goat coat coal soap
croak oar
foam loan goal roast toast
goad hoarse
poach groan cloak coax hoax
oatmeal steamboat
roam roar board tugboat skateboard

soar boast throat

coast oat coarse

coach cockroach meatloaf

float blackboard dashboard

roadrunner scoreboard

New Sight Words

although, dough, doughnut, though

oa 27

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

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 oa

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

toasted sounded treated floats little
temple happened restless boasting roasted
hopeful useless thriller boss risky
seat comment slouch throat sore
stayed groaning coached sitting handful

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 29
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 vowels
Decoding and Sentence Reading A

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?

30 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 vowels
Rob’s Wish

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 31
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 vowels

Rob’s Wish

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.

32 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 vowels
Rob’s Wish

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

selfish shipment lifeless wiggle pickle
longest teacher toaster
camper coach fluffy singer lately
outside crunched dumped
insect jungle riddle nearest bigger

daytime trip

dinner campfire

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 33
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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading B

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.”

34 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 vowels

Mitch and the Ditch

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 35

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 vowels
Mitch and the Ditch

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

36 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 vowels
Mitch and the Ditch

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 37
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 vowels

Mitch and the Ditch

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

floating boasted middle ribbon eaten
grabbed before lunched
speaker proudly rounder beginning splashed
walker under leaky
himself animal slippers plunked address

belonged hopped

throat hoax

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.

38 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 vowels
Decoding and Sentence Reading C

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 39
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 vowels

The Boat Contest

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.

40 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 vowels
The Boat Contest

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 41
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 vowels

The Boat Contest

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!”

42 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 vowels
The Boat Contest

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy

gobble napkin skateboard penny sticky
shone juggle teacup
driveway float teacher seashore daytime
throat mouth shouting
jolly plenty Sunday oatmeal apple

found happy

dizzy bubble

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.

oa, consonant-le syllables, ea, ou, nontwin-consonant syllable division, review 43
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 vowels

Decoding and Sentence Reading D

S. P. I.R.E.® Level 4 © SSI • Do Not Copy