Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/
Literacy changes lives, and we want every young reader to have stories that fit the skills they are learning. Written for UFLI Lesson 81, these decodable books focus on ir and ur, which both spell /er/. Children read ir words like fir, bird, girl and first, and ur words like fur, turn, burn and nurse, in short stories.
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A Nap at Last
Sloth is exhausted and needs the perfect spot for a nap, so he climbs a tall tree, gripping the trunk with a firm hold. But every branch brings a new problem, from a hungry giraffe to a buzzing hive to a grumpy creature who lurks nearby, hissing that it was there first. Will sloth ever find a quiet place to rest? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘firm’, ’lurks’, ‘hurts’, ‘curls’, ‘bird’.
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Who Made That Chirp?
Pup just wants one quiet nap by his favorite bush, but that pesky chirping won’t stop! He sniffs and searches everywhere, sure he can track down the noisy chirper and politely ask it to stop. Will Pup ever find out who’s really making all that racket? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘chirp’, ‘bursts’, ‘dirt’, ‘stirs’, ’turns’.
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They Are Not The Boss
A cat rules this house, no matter what the people think. When a girl sketches its fur, when a dog squirms in the tub, when a mischievous pest sneaks across the tiles, this clever cat always has a plan. But when the mean kid next door pulls a face and smirks, will this cat finally show him who’s really the boss around here? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘fur’, ‘curl’, ‘chirp’, ‘smirks’, ’turn’.
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Who Burst My Windmill?
Dr Can Do built the finest windmill anyone had ever seen, just because he could. Then one morning its blades lay smashed in the dirt, and no storm had touched anything else on the farm. Who wrecked his windmill? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘blurts’, ‘dirt’, ‘firm’, ‘hurt’, ‘sturdy’.
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Best Buds!
Spike the cactus has never had a friend, not one, not ever. He hops through the garden asking every plant for a hug, but they all say no. Will he ever find someone who won’t turn him away? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘blurts’, ‘chirps’, ‘smirk’, ‘sturdy’, ’twirl’.
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Look! Big Sis Cries!
A girl watches her fearless big sis climb trees, launch toy planes, and shrug off crashes and barking dogs without a single tear. But when the two of them tumble in the dirt and Big Sis still doesn’t cry, her little sister starts to wonder: is there anything in the whole wide world that could make her big sis cry? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘squirm’, ‘whirls’, ‘dirt’, ‘smirk’, ‘squirts’.
Hold On, Big Fish!
Big Fish and Little Fish are best friends, chasing bubbles near the seabed, when a net drops from above and wraps Big Fish tight. He squirms and squirms, but he can not budge, and his best friend darts off to find help. Will Little Fish find someone with teeth sharp enough to set Big Fish free before it’s too late? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘blur’, ’turtle’, ‘squirms’, ‘hurt’, ‘curls’.
Fig Pig Will Be First!
Fig Pig sails off to find the most amazing gift for Brat Cat, exploring strange coasts along the way. He meets spotted cows, a lurking polar bear, and scorching sand, but nothing feels quite right. Will Fig Pig ever find a gift amazing enough to bring home? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘sturdy’, ‘firm’, ‘swirls’, ‘chirp’, ‘burns’.
Her Big Goal
Jill has one wish: find a microbe nobody has ever named before. When a rotten-fruit stink turns out to smell like nothing she knows, she is sure something new lurks inside. Week after week she fills flask after flask, checking, waiting, hunting for a match. Will her nose finally sniff out a discovery all her own? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘swirl’, ‘dirt’, ’lurk’, ‘firm’, ’twirl’.
That Cat Lurks!
A girl loves watching the birds fill the tree each morning, but a certain black cat has other plans. Between spring chores and a spilled bucket of color, keeping the cat inside is harder than it looks. Will the cat’s sneaky plans ever be foiled? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘chirp’, ‘squirms’, ‘stir’, ‘purple’, ’twirls’.
Tsuro Lurks and Smirks
Tsuro the Hare has small, neat ears and a big problem: he cannot stand to miss anything. When Mwari calls the animals to receive their gifts and warns everyone not to lurk near the cave, curious Tsuro creeps close anyway to catch every whispered secret. Birds chirp, the line waits, and Tsuro squirms nearer the crack in the rock, but what happens when Mwari discovers he was listening? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘chirp’, ’lurks’, ‘dirt’, ‘squirms’, ‘firm’.
Wanjirũ Is Thirsty
Wanjirũ is old and tired, and Ngai wants to help her grow young and strong again. He sends the Chameleon with a message of renewal, but the slow Chameleon stops for a nap. Will the message reach the village in time? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘swirls’, ‘curls’, ‘bird’, ‘chirp’.
Bouki and the Well
When Bouki the Hyena blocks the village well and demands payment for water, the thirsty children and tired farmers have nowhere to turn. A clever girl named Aissatou has an idea using an old crack in the well’s stone rim. Can she outwit the big, strong hyena before the whole village runs dry? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ’thirsty’, ‘smirks’, ‘burns’, ’twirls’.
A Helping Hand!
Bird just moved to a new part of the world, and he doesn’t know a single soul. Down below, he spots a rhino, a giraffe, a zebra, and a croc, each one stuck with a problem only he might be able to fix. Can a small bird with a big plan turn total strangers into friends? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘bird’, ‘chirps’, ’turn’, ‘first’, ‘hurts’.
Amara Turns in Murk
Amara chases her runaway chicken straight into the dark forest, where the paths seem to vanish and her skirt is soon dusty with dirt. When a small bent tree stirs and a tall forest spirit named Moke appears, he asks her a strange question: why did she stop to help? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘dirt’, ‘firm’, ‘chirp’, ‘stirs’, ’turns’.
I Wish You All Would Go
My home is so full it is fit to burst, with Pa, Grandma, and the baby squished everywhere I turn, and there is no space left for me at all. So when I whirl and twirl my way into a wish for a house all my own, will I get exactly what I asked for? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘burst’, ’twirl’, ‘whirl’, ‘chirp’, ‘blurt’.
Sticky Hands!
A girl grins from ear to ear at the market, but something sticky is about to happen. An ice block, a balloon, and a swirl of orange fingers are only the start of her afternoon. What could possibly go wrong next? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 81: ir, ur /er/), this book practices words like ‘firm’, ‘skirt’, ‘burst’, ‘purple’, ’twirls’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some ir words?
Common ir words include bird, girl, first, shirt, skirt, dirt, stir, fir, third and thirst. Most are short, everyday words, so they suit early decodable text and are easy to act out or draw. Grouping them by ending, like shirt, skirt and dirt, helps children read them quickly and spell them later, since changing one letter makes a new word.
What are some words with ur?
Useful ur words for young readers include fur, turn, burn, hurt, curl, surf, church and nurse, plus longer words like turkey and Thursday. In each of them, ur makes the same /er/ sound as ir and er. Snow, Burns & Griffin (1998) recommended explicit teaching of common spelling patterns and plenty of practice reading real text, which is what a word list followed by a story provides.
Why do ir and ur make the same sound?
When r follows a vowel it changes the sound, and for i and u the result is the same /er/ sound, even though the letters differ. For reading, that is good news, because children can say /er/ for both. For spelling, they learn which words use which pattern one family at a time, as our guide to orthographic mapping explains.
How do the books for UFLI Lesson 81 teach ir and ur?
The ir and ur decodable books for UFLI Lesson 81 put words like fir, fur, bird and turn into short sentences, so children decode both spellings in context. Because the two spellings share a sound, the stories give plenty of reading practice before children need to choose between them for spelling. A few of these stories are free to read online.
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