Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/
Every child deserves stories that spark curiosity and build a foundation for lifelong learning. Each story on this page is written for UFLI Lesson 93, which covers three spellings of the /aw/ sound: au, aw and augh. Children read au and aw words like jaw, claw, haul and caught, and several of the stories can be read online at no cost.
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Where Can Sloth Nap?
Sloth is exhausted and just wants the perfect spot for one spectacular nap, but every branch in the jungle seems to be taken already. A giraffe mistakes him for a salad, a beehive buzzes right next door, and a snake hisses that the spot is already his. Can Sloth ever find a branch all to himself before dawn? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘yawned’, ‘claws’, ‘paws’, ‘squawked’, ’naughty’.
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A Rod
Steve needs a fishing rod to race Alex, but every place he searches for sticks and string turns up empty. Someone has cleared the fields bare. Will Steve find what he needs before Alex catches the first fish? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘saw’, ‘jaw’, ‘gawked’, ‘hauled’, ‘yawned’.
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My Pet Kids
A cat is convinced this house belongs to her, not the other way around. She has her three kids well trained, from cuddle time to breakfast duty, and there’s a naughty boy next door who won’t stop pulling faces at her over the fence. What will this clever cat do about him? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘paws’, ‘claws’, ‘jaws’, ’naughty’, ‘yawn’.
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Float On, Pang!
Pang the cicada has been chosen to conduct the forest’s biggest concert of the year, and he is terrified he isn’t ready. Rehearsals are wobbly, the choir is nervous, and the big day keeps creeping closer. Can Pang find the courage to lead everyone through it? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ’launched’, ‘applaud’, ‘crawled’, ’taught’, ‘yawned’.
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Tik Saw a Rope
A mouse finds a strange little creature that swears it’s a mouse too, no paws, no claws, no fur, just a screen and a cord for a tail. When a huge cat comes prowling with its claws out, can this odd little helper really save the day? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘paws’, ‘claws’, ‘gawks’, ‘draw’, and ‘fault’.
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Get Lost, Pokey!
Pip just needs one small, cozy spot to sleep, but every box and trash can on the street already has an owner who snarls “no room for you.” When rain turns to a raging storm, will Pip find a dry place of their own, or be left out in the cold? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘paws’, ‘claws’, ‘yawn’, ‘crawl’, ‘gawk’.
Amahle and the Bad Bridge
Amahle’s family is struggling, and a flash flood has washed away the bridge her father needs to reach the market. Then mysterious river spirits appear and point to the rubbish, the bridge, and the forest, leaving her to puzzle out what they mean. Can she read their silent clues in time to fix things? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘haul’, ‘dawn’, ‘jaw’, ‘crawls’, ‘squawk’.
Ned and the Thing with Teeth
Ned’s wooden tower feels safe, until The Book warns spiders can claw right up the walls. So Ned sets off to build something stronger: a hulking golem of iron blocks, hauled and stacked across the lawn until his arms ache. But a body needs a head, and The Book says to grow one from a pumpkin seed. Can a raw seedling in the dirt really become the fierce, brawny guardian Ned’s home needs? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘hauled’, ‘claw’, ‘sprawled’, ‘dawn’, ‘yawned’.
Kola and the Dawn Song
Kola is a quiet boy who notices things other people walk past, and he has a song no one has ever heard. When he spends everything he has saved on a scrawny, unwanted bird at the market, his cousins gawk and mock him for it. But at dawn, singing alone on the path to the well, will Kola discover his song can do more than he ever dreamed? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘dawn’, ‘gawk’, ‘hauls’, ‘scrawny’, ‘sprawls’.
Who Launched That Arrow?
Hop is minding his own business under a tree when arrows start raining down out of nowhere. He gathers a ragtag band of friends to track down the one creature bold enough to shoot at him: the king himself. But when a growl erupts from behind a stone wall, the whole gang freezes. Could the real culprit be even scarier than the king? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘bawls’, ‘crawls’, ‘dawn’, ‘jaws’, ‘squawks’.
A Good Job for All
Every morning, before the sky has even started to yawn, Rooster crows from his basket to wake the whole farm. But a sleepless guard dog, a message-carrying bird, and a gentle little parakeet all seem to have very different jobs already. Down in the dirt, tireless earthworms dig without ever asking for thanks. So who really does the most important work around here? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘dawn’, ‘crawled’, ‘hauled’, ‘sauntered’, and ‘yawn’.
Zintle at Dawn
At dawn, Zintle sits by the wide river and watches the water, wondering about the King who lives at the bottom. She helps three creatures in trouble, never guessing that a wild flood is about to sweep away her family’s seeds, water jugs, and her brother’s favorite toy. When the king himself calls up from the deep and asks what she needs most, what will she dare to ask for? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘dawn’, ‘caught’, ‘claw’, ‘gawks’, ‘saunter’.
The Wand Won't Aim
A boy called Aidan finally has enough coins for a wand of his own, but the crooked, chipped one the shopkeeper hands over looks nothing like the shiny wands in the window. Determined to prove it works, he points it high and calls out his first spell. Will Aidan’s strange old wand ever do what he asks? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘gawks’, ‘bawl’, ‘hauling’, ‘squawks’, ‘sprawling’.
Auma and the Lake Call
Every evening, Auma hauls a container of water from the great silver lake for her grandmother’s cooking. But tonight a ripple moves against the wind, straight toward her, and a green hand rises from the water holding a small wrapped bundle. What is the lake trying to tell her? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘hauls’, ‘raw’, ‘claws’, ‘dawns’, ‘vaults’.
Nobody Squeezes Yellow
Yellow the paint tube is perfectly straight while every other color has been squeezed flat and used up in Jill’s big painting. Yellow gawked at the crumpled tubes and swore nobody would ever squeeze him, but Jill’s picture is still missing one thing: gold. Will Yellow keep his shape, or give in to become part of something grand? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘saw’, ‘jaw’, ‘dawn’, ‘gawked’, ‘sprawled’.
The Cat Did It
A cat gets herself stuck at the top of a tall tree at dawn, and one kid’s rescue mission sets off a chain of chaos involving a broken ladder, a wailing baby, and a hungry monkey next door. Will anyone believe this wild tale is really all the cat’s fault? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘yawn’, ‘crawled’, ‘hauled’, ‘bawled’, ‘sauntered’.
That Pile Hauled My Cat!
Ben’s cat missed dinner, and that never happens. Fresh paw prints lead him to a towering pile of junk with his cat sitting right on top of it, purring like a queen on a throne. Then the pile moves all by itself, clutching Ben’s cat like a prize it refuses to drop. Can Ben ever get her back? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 93: au, aw, augh /aw/), this book practices words like ‘paw’, ‘hauled’, ‘yawned’, ‘crawling’, ‘sprawled’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some everyday au words?
Everyday au words include haul, sauce, cause, pause, launch and fault. The au team usually appears at the start or in the middle of a word, with a consonant after it, so it rarely ends a word. Children working through UFLI Lesson 93 meet these words next to aw words, which shows them that two spellings can share one sound.
What are some aw words?
Common aw words include saw, jaw, claw, straw, draw, lawn, yawn and hawk. Many are short and easy to picture, which makes them good for early sentences such as The hawk saw the fawn. Reading them in connected stories, not just lists, gives children the kind of regular practice that Snow, Burns & Griffin (1998) linked to fluent reading.
What words start with au or aw?
Words that begin with au include August, autumn and author, and words that begin with aw include awful, awning and awkward. Many of these are longer words, so they suit children who are ready to split words into syllables. Pointing to the vowel team first, then reading the rest of the word, is a simple routine that works with both spellings.
When do you use au, aw or augh?
A helpful guide is that aw tends to appear at the end of a word or before n, l or k, while au tends to appear at the start or in the middle. The augh spelling is found in a small group of words, including caught, taught, daughter and naughty, which children usually learn as a set. Seeing these words again and again helps store them in memory through orthographic mapping.
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