Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild/-old/-ind/-olt/-ost)
We believe every child deserves to feel the click of reading a word they once found hard. The books here follow UFLI Lesson 72, where a vowel stays long even though the syllable looks closed. Children read these closed syllable exceptions in word families such as wild and child, old and gold, kind and bind, bolt and colt, and most and post.
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No Rest for Skel
Skel has a mountain of chores and no time to rest, no matter what his friends say. When night falls, he sneaks out anyway, chasing treasure in the hills with his dog by his side. But hunting for gold in the dark keeps him from the one thing he really needs: sleep. What is waiting for him out there in the cold and dark? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘gold’, ‘behind’, ‘cold’, ‘mind’, ’told’.
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Not My Bake Shop
Tom the baker makes the best pumpkin pies in Canville, and every night stone golems guard the village while he sleeps. But one morning the golems are smashed to bits, and something is creeping closer in the dark. What is getting past the guards? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘wild’, ‘find’, ‘mind’, ‘behold’, ‘bold’.
Kip Can't Stop
Kip has somewhere very important to be, but a whole mob of hungry crocs blocks the only path through. Can Kip find a way past them before they catch him? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘wild’, ‘bolts’, ‘behind’, ‘find’, ‘mind’.
Catch That Cat!
Dr. Can Do is old and bold, sure he can fix anything in town, big or small. But when a fast little cat bolts past him and won’t listen to a word he says, he needs Jill’s help to figure out how to win it over. Can he find a way to earn the wild cat’s trust? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘gold’, ‘wild’, ‘bolts’, ‘find’, ‘kind’.
A Fix for Wambũi
Wambũi, the chief’s daughter, has fallen gravely ill, and no one can find out why. When the chief promises a lifelong bond to whichever child finds the cure, a farmer’s daughter named Wanjirũ remembers something odd she saw by the stream. Could a careful, curious child solve what no grown-up can? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘find’, ‘bold’, ‘cold’, ’told’, ‘hold’.
Cold Sand
Naru’s grandmother taught her the names of every star in the Kalahari sky, but drought has dried the water holes and the elders can’t agree which way to go. While others argue, Naru remembers a story about a hidden star that shows the way to water. Could one small light in the cold sand guide the whole band home? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘find’, ‘hold’, ‘behold’, ‘bold’, ‘mind’.
The Cave Wildcat
Behold the old cave on the ridge: shout into it, and it echoes back your very words. A boy named Karĩuki minds his family’s goats there, using the cave’s calls to guide them home. But when a wild cat creeps close, hunting his herd, Karĩuki must be bold and think fast, or he could lose more than one goat. Can he find a way to save them all? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘old’, ‘bold’, ‘wild’, ‘behold’, ‘mind’.
The Fire Is Mine
A leopard hoards fire deep in the forest, warming himself while the village shivers in the cold. A bold goat named Nzala sets her mind on winning it back with nothing but riddles and a clever trick. Will her plan hold up against Leopard’s sharp eyes? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘bold’, ‘cold’, ‘kind’, ‘mind’, ‘wild’.
Flung from Home
Bolt glides through the cold waves, dodging nets and boats with the confidence of the ocean’s greatest navigator. But a wild storm has other plans, tossing him far from every reef and rock he knows. Lost in strange blue water, surrounded by fish he’s never seen, Bolt has only one thought: how will he ever find his way home? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘bolt’, ‘cold’, ‘find’, ‘wild’, ‘kind’.
Do Not Chase That Bug
A calf isn’t supposed to follow the blue butterfly, but it drifts down the path, past hidden snakes and grinning monkeys, and she can’t resist. Deep in the wild jungle, alone and far from Mom, how will she ever find her way home? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘wild’, ‘find’, ‘bolts’, ‘holds’, ‘kind’.
No Cows No Cake
Ned finally puts down his heavy old armor and dreams of a quiet life baking cakes. But cakes need milk, and milk means cows, so Ned sets off to find a herd and bring them home before dark. As night falls and his fence still has a gap in it, will Ned’s cows stay safe? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘behind’, ‘bold’, ‘cold’, ‘find’, ‘old’.
Who Left This Wild Egg?
Zom and Skel race to the top of a hill, but when Zom finds something strange buried in the dirt, the race is forgotten. It’s an egg unlike any they’ve ever seen, glowing softly and humming with light. Zom wants to eat it, but Skel is sure something out there is looking for it. Whose egg could this be? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘behold’, ‘wild’, ‘find’, ‘kind’, ‘old’.
Find Jane, Spot!
Spot the pup is the world’s greatest finder of things, and today his girl Jane takes him to the zoo, the best day of his entire life. But when Jane vanishes into a sea of legs and feet, can bold Spot find his girl before the fun turns into a very wild chase? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘bold’, ‘find’, ‘wild’, ‘gold’, ‘old’.
Kit Finds the Wild
Kim lives in a small old house at the edge of the forest, and one day a mysterious white deer steps out and beckons her to follow. Mom always said not to, but Kim can’t resist, and soon she and her piglet are lost among wild plants and stranger animals. Will Kim find her way home before dark? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘wild’, ‘bold’, ‘find’, ‘behold’.
A Sea Beast on My Line!
Bob naps on the dock in the mild sun, hoping for a quiet day. Suddenly something huge and wild yanks his line, and a snapping, sea-slithering monster pulls him under. Bob finds a stuck golden egg and a scared, snake mother nearby, but can he set it free before the cold water proves too much? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘wild’, ‘gold’, ‘bold’, ‘cold’, ‘kind’.
A Crown and a Gown
Jill has one big wish: to become the Magic Queen, with her dog Pip as her trusty assistant. But she has no cape, no hat, and no tricks yet, so Jill must find things around the house to make her dream come true. Will Jill and Pip pull off the most magical show ever? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 72: Long VCC (-ild, -old, -ind, -olt, -ost)), this book practices words like ‘behold’, ‘gold’, ‘find’, ‘wild’, ‘kind’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What are closed syllable exceptions?
Most closed syllables have a short vowel, but a few letter patterns keep the vowel long: -ild, -old, -ind, -olt and -ost. That is why child has a long i while chill has a short one, and why cold sounds different from cod. Teaching these as word families helps children notice the pattern instead of treating each word as a surprise.
Do all words ending in -ost have a long vowel?
The -ost family is the least reliable of the five. Most, post, host and ghost have a long o, but cost, lost and frost keep a short one. Children can try the long sound first, then check whether the word makes sense, which also settles wind, an -ind word whose sound changes with its meaning.
How can I help my child spot closed syllable exceptions at home?
Write a few words on cards, such as mint, mild, cold, cot, kind and kit, and have your child sort them into short and long vowel piles. Then ask what the long-vowel words have in common, so your child discovers the -ild, -old and -ind patterns. The National Reading Panel (2000) found that systematic phonics instruction benefits beginning readers, and small discovery activities like this fit well within it.
What long vowel words are in the books for UFLI Lesson 72?
The closed syllable exceptions decodable books for UFLI Lesson 72 feature long vowel words such as old, bind, child, gold and most in short stories. Children switch between these long vowels and the short vowels they already know, which keeps them reading carefully. Several titles are free to read online, and our guide to orthographic mapping explains how repeated reading helps words stick.
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