Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er/-est
Literacy changes lives, and we’re dedicated to making quality books accessible to every young reader. In these doubling rule decodable books for UFLI Lesson 108, children read -er and -est words like bigger, hottest, batter and runner. They see why big becomes bigger but fast becomes faster, and several free titles are ready to read online.
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Even Ghosts Want Friends
Pip has been waiting all day in the spooky forest for a friend, but every kid who sees a ghost just screams and runs. Even a coconut disguise doesn’t fool anyone! Can Pip find a way to prove that a ghost can be the funnest playmate around? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘funnest’, ‘bummer’, ‘chatter’, ‘winner’.
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Catch That Nut Robber!
High in the biggest tree on Nut Hill, a busy planner named Pip has hidden forty-nine nuts in every hole she can find, ready for winter. But one morning every single nut is gone, and Pip is sure a robber is to blame. She asks the bees, she asks the birds, but no one seems to know a thing. Who could have taken every last nut, and where could they possibly have gone? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘robber’, ‘madder’, ‘chatter’, ‘biggest’, ‘quitter’.
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Stuck! Now What, Rose?
Rose is the biggest sheep on the hill, and the new farmyard gate is far too small for her. Her friends swear stretching, running, or swimming will shrink her down to size, so Rose tries each plan with all her might. Will any of them actually get her home? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘fitter’, ‘hotter’, ’thinner’, ‘runner’, ‘snugger’.
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Drop Them Both!
A boy is sure a rock will fall faster than a feather, but before he drops them, he wants to know exactly how much bigger the rock’s weight really is. His dad shows up with a set of scales, ready to help him find the real number. Is a bigger thing always the winner when it comes to weight? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘biggest’, ‘wetter’, ‘hottest’, ‘gladder’.
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Got It!
Jack watches a kid juggling a football through a chain-link fence, and he’s sure he can keep up. But this kid is fast, faster than anyone Jack has ever played against, and totally impossible to catch. Can Jack figure out why this kid never once looks up when he shouts? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘hotter’, ‘madder’, ‘winner’, ‘runner’.
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Beast Feast!
Three loud llamas turn Skel’s quiet farm upside down, filling the yard with dancing, chomping newcomers no matter how many times he chases them off. Zom leads them away once, but they keep coming back bigger and bigger, hungrier than before, until Skel tries one bold move to finally scare them for good. Will his plan actually work? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘madder’, ‘sadder’, ‘critters’, ‘chatter’.
The Biggest Stunner
Dot is not like the other flowers in her jungle. She’s big, she’s red, and her smell could curl your toes from twenty feet away. When the roses turn up their perfect noses and the butterflies fly right past her, will Dot ever find friends who love her just the way she is? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘sadder’, ‘hottest’, ‘winner’.
Bat in the Dark!
Steve is deep in the mine, pockets stuffed with treasure, when tiny wings start beating above his head. Five bats swoop straight at him, and his last torch has already gone out. Can he outrun them in the dark? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘dimmer’, ‘bigger’, ’nipper’, ‘patter’, ‘swimmer’.
We Are Fish Grabbers!
A pup wants to skip straight to fishing, but Mum has other plans. First there’s swimming to learn, a hollow log to hide in, and a nap that no one wants to take. Will the pups ever get their paws on a fish? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘wetter’, ’napper’, ‘chatter’, ‘fattest’.
Kalulu and the Bigger Supper
Kalulu the Hare knows Simba the Lion always takes the biggest share of every catch, and every animal is too scared to argue. When Simba blocks Kalulu’s path and demands his supper, Kalulu offers something far better: a secret herd of eland, just past the hot, dry grass. Will the king’s greed lead him somewhere he never expects? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘hottest’, ‘fattest’, ‘gladder’, ‘madder’.
The Moon Gets Thinner
The Moon shines new and silver over the desert, growing thinner each night before she returns full and bright again. She wants everyone to know her secret about coming back, but sharing it isn’t as easy as she hopes. Can her fastest messenger get her words exactly right? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘dimmer’, ‘runner’, ’thinner’, ‘gladder’, ‘grimmer’.
Gĩcere Grabs a Yam
Gĩcere the hyena grabs food from everyone by the river, always the biggest grabber in the valley. When a rabbit named Mwĩrĩ starts cooking sweet yams in the shared pot, she is tired of him eating it all before it’s ready. So she comes up with a plan and seals the pot shut. What happens when Gĩcere can’t resist peeking inside? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘grabber’, ‘flatter’, ‘hotter’, ‘biggest’, ‘planner’.
Juma's Net Is Heavy
Juma is the saddest fisherman on the Mombasa dock, and three weeks of empty nets have his family down to their last bit of rice. Then one morning, far past the reef, his net drags up something that is not a fish at all: a small, rattling jar. What could possibly be trapped inside? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘saddest’, ‘hotter’, ‘winner’, ‘biggest’.
Sauce on My Jaw!
Max has waited his whole life for the noodle-eating contest, and he is ready to win no matter what. But then grim, grinning Tim shows up with a plan of his own, and suddenly this contest feels a lot less easy. Can Max out-eat his rival and become the true noodle champion? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘winner’, ‘biggest’, ‘grimmest’, ‘quitter’, ’thinnest’.
The Hotter Sun
The Sun and Moon once shared the same bright sky, blazing side by side so no shadow ever fell and no one ever slept. As the heat grows hottest and the tired little ones grow sadder by the day, the Moon knows something has to change. Could she find a way to soften her own glow, without her proud, madder brother chasing her into another burning contest? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘hotter’, ‘dimmer’, ‘sadder’, ‘biggest’.
The Girl Who Never Spoke
Kim knows more about butterflies than anyone in her town, but she never speaks up in class, hiding like a small mouse behind everyone else. When her teacher takes the class to the park and gets a simple butterfly fact wrong, Kim’s hand shoots up before she can stop it. Will she finally find the courage to share everything she knows? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘saddest’, ‘sipper’, ‘winner’, ‘chatter’.
Stand Still, Herd!
Ned has smashed zombies and bashed skeletons all night, but every fight leaves him with bigger bumps and bruises. When The Book suggests he needs a hide suit made from cow leather, Ned figures grabbing a few cows will be easy. Can Ned outsmart a scattering herd before his plan falls apart? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 108: Doubling Rule -er, -est), this book practises words like ‘bigger’, ‘madder’, ‘gladder’, ‘funner’, ‘stunner’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the doubling rule mean for -er and -est?
When a one-syllable word ends in one consonant after one vowel, the consonant doubles before -er or -est. That is why big becomes bigger and biggest, hot becomes hotter and hottest, and thin becomes thinner. UFLI Lesson 108 takes the rule children used with -ed and -ing and applies it to these new endings.
What do you call words like bigger and biggest?
Bigger is a comparative, used to compare two things, and biggest is a superlative, used for the most of a group. Young children do not need the terms, but noticing that -er compares two and -est compares many helps them understand what they read. A quick game with three objects of different sizes makes the idea concrete.
Why does run become runner?
The -er ending can also name a person or thing that does an action, as in runner, swimmer, winner and batter. Because run, swim and win each end in one consonant after one vowel, the last letter doubles before -er. Reading these next to words like bigger shows children that one spelling rule works across different kinds of words, which supports orthographic mapping.
Which words do not double before -er and -est?
Words that end in two consonants, like fast and long, just add the ending, giving faster and longest. Words with two vowels before the last consonant, like cool and neat, do not double either. Words ending in w, x or y never double, so few becomes fewer and slow becomes slower, which gives children a clear set of checks.
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