Bookbot Decodable Books: ei
We’re passionate about ensuring literacy is accessible to every child, as it is essential for a happy, successful life. These ei decodable books take on one of English’s more changeable vowel teams. The letters ei can spell long e in ceiling and receive, long a in vein and veil, and long i in height, so readers learn to try a likely sound and check it.
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Minecraft Ecology: Deserts
Could you survive a day in the blazing Minecraft desert? Sand stretches in every direction, the sun climbs to a dizzying height, and the air feels weirdly still. Where do husks hide when the heat gets too strong? How do rabbits stay cool, and what hidden treasures wait beneath the dunes? Grab a shovel, pack a map, and seize the chance to explore this foreign land! This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words such as ‘weird,’ ‘height,’ ’neither,’ and ‘seize.’
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Pests!
Skel loves his brick house spotless, from the floors right up to the ceiling - but Zom and Jack think cleaning is weird and would rather flop in the sunny yard. What happens when nobody lifts a mop for days? Why are strange little legs skittering in the shadows, and who seized the last slice of pie? Can the pals fix the mess before the bugs take over? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ sound in words like ‘ceiling,’ ’eight,’ ‘seized,’ and ‘weirdly.’
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Big Sis Never Cries!
Big Sis is the coolest kid in the whole world. She climbs to dizzy heights, laughs off a feisty dog, and never, ever cries - not even when she tumbles smack into the dirt! So when her little sibling spots real, wet tears rolling down her cheeks in the kitchen, what on earth could have finally cracked the bravest kid around? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘height,’ ‘weird,’ and ’neither.’
Pillager!
Brat Cat has eight jobs on her list and zero time for weirdos - so why is a gray pillager standing on her hill with a crossbow? When an arrow thumps into her shoulder on a perfectly normal Tuesday, this feisty farm cat grabs her bow and climbs the log pile. Can she seize the moment and save her pigs from the weirdest neighbor ever? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ sound in words like ’eight,’ ‘weight,’ ‘seize,’ and ‘reign.’
Hippo's Deep Pool
Hippo rules the great river bend and sends every thirsty animal fleeing with one enormous splash. But when slow, patient Tortoise offers a strange wager, will Hippo really keep her mighty jaws shut from moonrise to moonrise? What happens when a chewing, yawning tortoise spends all night tempting her? Who truly holds ’their’ river now? This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ sound, with lesson words like ’their’, ‘height’, ’leisure’, ’neither’, and ‘weirdest’.
Kato Needs Warmth
Fire is Old Tortoise’s alone, buried in a pot beneath a flat rock, and no one else in the cold Karoo has ever felt its warmth. When Kato’s baby sister falls ill with cold, what can one boy with two small stones possibly do against a creature who guards his treasure so fiercely? Could a spark, a nest of grass, and a clever idea change everything? This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with words like ’their’, ‘being’, ‘height’, ’neither’, and ‘receive’.
Jackal Sees Honey
Hyena has found the sweetest treasure on the whole dry veld, and she is not sharing one drop with anyone. But clever Jackal is watching from the shadows, and he is very hungry. Can a small, quick trickster outsmart a bigger, stronger beast? What plan is forming behind those bright eyes? This Bookbot level practices the phonogram ’ei’, with lesson words like ‘being’, ’neither’, ‘seize’, ‘weighs’, and ‘weird’.
Get Out of My Ceiling!
BANG! Jill wakes up covered in dust - again. Dr. Can Do has blown another hole in the ceiling, and Jill has finally had enough. She’s going to build her own house, with her own roof, and sleep in perfect quiet for once. But what’s that awful groaning sound coming from above her bed? And how on earth did something get stuck up there? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ sound in words like ‘ceiling,’ ‘weird,’ ‘seized,’ ‘height,’ and ’eiderdown.’
The Lion's Wide Circle
The lion arrived on a hot, still day, clever and bold, and it set its sights on Kipkemoi’s herd of thirty cattle. Ten years old and all alone, Kipkemoi cannot outrun it or outshout it. So how does one small boy outsmart a lion that herds cattle the very same way he does? What secret does the mighty lead bull hold, and will Kipkemoi’s shaking knees give him away before he reaches the gate? This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with words like ‘weird’, ’neither’, ‘height’, ‘receive’, and ‘seize’.
The Sleeping Bull
The Rain Bull sleeps deep in his dark pool, and while he dreams, the land goes dry. When Zinhle’s father cannot get past the thorns to wake him, what can one girl do? She remembers an old story about reeds and rain, and sets off alone toward the deep water. Can a homemade song of reeds really stir a spirit as old as the storm? This Bookbot story practices the ’ei’ phonogram with words like ‘being’, ‘height’, ‘weird’, and ‘veil’.
Siti and the Warm Coconut
On a small island of coconut palms, Siti finds one strange nut that hums instead of rattles, and when it cracks open at last it changes everything. Who is hidden inside, and what would you carry through the dark to bring someone home? A warm tale of courage, kindness, and open hands. This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ sound with words like ‘weird’, ’neither’, ‘height’, ‘seize’, and ‘receive’.
Take What You Need
In a village where the sky hangs low enough to touch, Igwe the Sky offers his flesh as food, asking only one thing: take what you need. But what happens when one woman ignores the rule and wastes his gift? Will the people ever coax the sky back down to their fingertips? A tender retelling about gratitude, generosity, and living within our means. This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with words like ’their’, ‘height’, ’either’, ‘weigh’, and ‘weird’.
Elephant Never Looked Down
Deep in the rainforest lives an Elephant so sure that nothing small could ever matter to him. But when his careless feet crush a tiny weaver bird’s nest, will Pili simply fly away, or find a way to make a giant listen? Can a creature no bigger than his toe truly stand up to him? This warm, clever tale about courage and respect will delight young readers. This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with words like ‘being’, ‘weigh’, ‘height’, ’eight’, and ‘seize’.
Girma and the Great Call
A young shepherd named Girma has never set foot inside a stone building, yet he can read the weather in the clouds and find water where the birds gather. So when the Emperor summons the wisest men in the land to answer three impossible questions, could a boy in one spare shirt possibly have the answers the scholars miss? What makes a person truly wise? This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with lesson words such as ‘ceiling’, ’neither’, ‘weird’, ’eighty’, and ‘reign’.
The Cursed Emerald Part 3
Steve is trapped in a strange village, clutching a Cursed Emerald that won’t let him go. The villagers only hum, a scruffy cat watches him from the hay, and his brother’s old warnings keep echoing in his head. Can Steve find a cartographer to map his way home before the emerald hollows him out? And what happens when he reaches for a second gem? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ sound in words like ’eight,’ ‘receive,’ ‘veins,’ and ‘weird.’
Fox in the Night
Zom’s chickens keep vanishing, and a weird fox is to blame! He’s already lost eight hens to her sneaky night-time visits. Can new planks, a heavy gate, and express freight deliveries outsmart a clever thief? Or will Zom need a wilder plan - one that involves hiding in the weeds and feigning a monster at the top of his lungs? What will Zom discover out in the moonlight? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘freight,’ ‘height,’ and ‘weird.’
Don't Go Outside, Ned!
Ned has landed in a strange, blocky world, and his very first rule is simple: don’t go outside! But when the nights turn freezing and heinous monsters lurk between the trees, can a talking Book really help him build a cozy shed with a warm furnace inside? Will Ned be brave enough to step out and gather what he needs before dark? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘weird,’ ‘ceiling,’ ’neither,’ ‘receive,’ and ‘being.’
Bat Box
Jack the scarecrow is the world’s worst at scaring - but he’s determined to fill the farm with bees, birds, and bats! When his neighbor Zom asks for help with pesky mosquitoes, Jack sets out to build the coziest, darkest hideaway any bat could dream of. But where do you put a bat box on a sunny, open farm? Will the bats ever come? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘height,’ ‘weight,’ ’neighbor,’ and ‘receive.’
Tortoise Talks Too Much
Why does Tortoise have a cracked shell? Long ago he had the smoothest shell in all the land, but he could never stop talking, not even when he should. So when the birds fly off to a great feast in the sky and clever Tortoise begs a ride, will he keep the one promise that could save him? Soar high above the clouds in this warm African folktale. This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘being’, ‘ceiling’, ‘height’, ‘receive’, and ‘weird’.
That's Not My Face!
Three naughty children cannot wait to peek at their father’s magic mirror - but what happens when the glass shows ugly, weird monsters instead of their own faces? Is the mirror broken, or is something stranger going on? Can a feisty brother outsmart it with a fancy hat, or will his sister outrun it? Join the farm children as they try to lift the veil on a very peculiar reflection. This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘being,’ ’either,’ ‘weird,’ and ‘veil.’
What a Mess
Tomorrow is Mom’s birthday, and Heidi has a secret plan - a handmade bracelet from her very best beads! But first she has to find three bead boxes hidden in the weirdest spots around her room. Can she dig through toy chests, tumbling drawers, and a wobbly laundry mountain without turning her bedroom upside down? And what will Mom say when she sees her gift? This decodable reader practices the ei phonogram in words like ‘beige,’ ‘heights,’ ’neither,’ and ‘weighed.’
Tano and the Weird Drum
When the rains fail and the fish swim deep, Tano’s village goes hungry. Then his stick hits something buried in the sand: an old drum with weird carved words that promise food to anyone who beats it right. But what happens when a greedy stranger seizes it and breaks the rules? Can Tano undo the harm before someone gets sick? This Bookbot level practices the ei vowel sounds with words like ‘weird’, ‘conceited’, ‘received’ and ’neighbor’.
Give Back My Bell!
Dibs the little dragon has the most magnificent golden bell in the world, jingling proudly on the tip of his tail. But when a cheeky purple dragon snatches it and soars off into the clouds, poor Dibs is left staring up at dizzying heights. How will a tiny dragon who can’t even fly get his treasure back? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘weigh,’ ‘height,’ ‘seized,’ and ‘weird.’
Hang On, Mel!
The water rises fast, swallowing streets and rooftops, and all Mel has left is a wooden pole and her toy giraffe, Gus. When a kind helper named Jen pulls her to safety, can Mel find the courage to speak, to eat, and to help the other frightened kids at the shelter? And will Jen keep her biggest promise of all? This decodable reader practices the ’ei’ phonogram in words like ‘weight,’ ‘ceiling,’ ’eiderdown,’ and ‘feisty.’
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are 10 examples of ei words?
Ten useful ei words are ceiling, receive, protein, seize, either, vein, veil, reindeer, height and weird. Together they show how many jobs the pattern does: long e in ceiling and receive, long a in vein and reindeer, and long i in height. Sorting ei words by sound, rather than learning them as one long list, helps children see the order inside the variety.
How do you know whether a word uses ei or ie?
The rhyme ‘i before e except after c’ works for many long e words, such as receive and ceiling, and for ie words like field and chief. It misses plenty of common words, though, including weird, either, protein and height, and ei also spells long a in vein and rein. For ei and ie words, reading them often in context builds a more reliable memory than any single rule.
Why is ei called a vowel team if it makes different sounds?
A vowel team is any pair of vowels that works together to spell one sound, and ei still does that, even though the sound depends on the word. The same is true of other vowel teams children know, like ea in eat and bread or ow in snow and cow. Teaching children to try the most likely sound first, then check that the word makes sense, builds the flexible thinking these patterns need.
When are children ready for ei decodable books?
Rare spellings like ei usually come once children read the common vowel teams, such as ai, ee and oa, quickly and accurately, which for many is around third grade. Jeanne Chall called this period the stage of confirmation and fluency, when decoding becomes more automatic through lots of reading. Our scope and sequence shows where ei decodable books sit, and a child can always drop back a level if a book feels too hard.