Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 119: -sion, -tion
Our mission is making literacy accessible to all children, because reading opens doors to endless possibilities. Each book here follows UFLI Lesson 119, where children meet the endings -tion and -sion. They read words like action, caption, station and attention, where -tion says /shun/, alongside vision, fusion and decision, where -sion often says /zhun/. Some titles are free to read online.
Free
Anansi Must Pay
Anansi owes great Python a debt for a meal, and now Python has come to collect, with a plan to eat Anansi himself. Quick-thinking Anansi spins a story about royal vine-rope and a perfect knot fit only for a king. Can he talk his way out of becoming Python’s dinner? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘attention’, ‘decision’, ‘motion’, ‘perfection’.
Free
My Zombie Villagers!
Two villagers wander off yet again, straight into a cave where a lurking zombie turns them green-skinned and hollow-eyed. They’re too scared of sunlight to escape and too zombie to be saved the normal way, so how do you rescue someone who might bite your face off? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘potion’, ‘mission’, ‘solution’, ‘question’.
Free
My Duck Races the Flock!
A girl is sure her wobbly, waddling duck is the fastest bird in town, even though her friends can’t stop laughing. Every morning she and her duck race up and down the hills, training hard for the Big Flock Race. Can this odd little duck really keep up with the sleek racing birds on Saturday? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘prediction’, ‘mission’, ’tradition’, ‘celebration’.
The Book Knows Everything
Ned’s furnace is nearly out of fuel, and the caves are too dark and dangerous to explore for coal. Luckily, The Book has a solution that needs no caves at all. But making charcoal, growing a whole new woodland, and figuring out why the saplings won’t budge takes more than one clever answer, and The Book seems to have a trick for every problem. What will Ned discover next? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘solution’, ‘information’, ‘attention’, ‘reaction’, ’tradition’.
Nomvula Pays Attention
Nomvula is the best tracker in her village, and she has turned down every suitor who comes to her gate. Then a striking stranger arrives asking her father’s permission to marry her, and Nomvula notices something everyone else misses. What is he hiding? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘attention’, ‘permission’, ‘decision’, ‘conclusion’, ‘confusion’.
He Tried, No One Heard
Iron Golem has practised his introduction all morning, but the village won’t listen. Not one villager, cat, or pig gives him any attention, no matter how politely he tries to say hello. When even the skeletons ignore him after firing their arrows, will Iron Golem ever find someone willing to be his friend? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘introduction’, ‘attention’, ‘mission’, ‘conviction’, ‘precision’.
Zom and the Big Haul
Zom loves adventure walks, poking his sword into bushes and flipping rocks in search of something new. One day he finds a rainbow rabbit with rainbow milk, sweet and fizzy like drinking a sunset. He scoops it up and hatches a whole pen of rainbow rabbits, dreaming up a big plan to turn all that magical milk into gold. What could possibly go wrong with rainbow cake pops? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘mission’, ‘decision’, ‘collection’, ‘production’, ‘attention’.
Jackal's Honey Question
Jackal has watched hungry, greedy Hyena hide a huge honeycomb, and he wants a bite. He is smaller and weaker, so a straight-up fight will not work, and Hyena will just laugh if he simply asks to share. Can a clever jackal outwit a hyena twice his size? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘satisfaction’, ’tradition’, ‘attention’, ‘decision’, ’temptation’.
We Lost a Planet
The Sun counts her planets again and again, but there are only eight where there should be nine. One by one, she asks each planet for help, but nobody has seen a single sign of the missing one. Where in the whole solar system could a planet possibly hide? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘decision’, ‘attention’, ‘vision’, ‘celebration’, ’emotion’.
Adhis Has a Plan
Adhis’s family are rainmakers, and everyone expects her older brother to take over when their father falls ill. But Owino’s loud, modern methods can’t call the rain, while Adhis quietly reads the ants, the birds, and the wind. When the village finally listens to her, will she get them ready in time? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘action’, ‘decision’, ‘prediction’, ’explosion’.
What Could Go Wrong?
Ned just wants dinner, but the fluffy rabbits in the field look too cute to shoot, and The Book keeps begging him to pick something safer. When Ned ignores the warning and fires anyway, the other rabbits scatter and something in the grass goes very, very still. What could possibly go wrong? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘option’, ’temptation’, ‘question’, ‘mission’, ‘solution’.
Who Will Budge First?
Sam is only supposed to take the calf straight home, but his friends call him over for one more game. He runs off without a second thought, leaving the calf alone on the path. Will he make it back before dark? The calf plants its feet and won’t move an inch, no matter how hard Sam pulls, and nothing seems to work until a familiar sound rolls across the hills. Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘mission’, ‘attention’, ’temptation’, ‘motion’, ’traction’.
The Sea Has Tentacles!
Ashley won’t even step into the waves, sure the sea hides something with long, grabby arms. But once her snorkel finally works, glowing lights, tiny turtles, and a fish that flies straight out of the water pull her further from shore than she ever meant to go. What is waiting for her down at the reef? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘reaction’, ’tension’, ‘mission’, ‘compassion’, ‘vision’.
Bouki and a Portion
Leuk the hare can’t outrun Bouki, the hyena who always shows up to claim half his rewards. When Bour the Lion offers land to whoever finds his lost golden bracelet by sundown, Bouki charges off without asking a single question. Can a quick mind beat a fast pair of legs? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘portion’, ‘collection’, ‘decision’, ‘caution’, ’expression’.
That Is Not a Fish
Jack has never caught a single fish, not one, not ever, but today he’s sure his branch-and-string rod will finally work, with his cat Meow watching on. When something huge yanks the line and pulls him off balance, he can hardly believe it: what could possibly be down there in the cold, dark water? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘conviction’, ’notion’, ‘perfection’, ‘attention’, ‘occasion’.
My Bell Is on the Run
Dibs has one perfect, jingling golden bell tied to his tail, and he gives it his full attention every single day. But when a bigger dragon soars overhead, Dibs tries to fly too, and his precious bell goes bouncing away, right through the gates of the Dragon School. Can he win back his bell before someone else’s decision, action, or plan gets in the way? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘attention’, ‘decision’, ‘action’, ‘direction’, ‘solution’.
How Hard Can It Be?
Ned wants to be a wizard, but first he needs an enchanting table. His book insists he pay attention and mine the hardest stuff in the world with a brand-new pickaxe. What could possibly be harder than diamond, and is Ned really ready for it? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 119: -sion, -tion), this book practises words like ‘attention’, ‘mission’, ‘question’, ‘ambition’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the ending -tion mean?
Words ending in -tion usually name a thing made from an action, so act becomes action, collect becomes collection and add becomes addition. Most of these words came into English from Latin, often through French, which is why they can look long and formal. Spotting the base word inside helps children read and understand them, and our guide to decoding and morphology explains how prefixes and suffixes work.
How do you say -tion and -sion?
The ending -tion almost always says /shun/, as in nation, caution and station. The ending -sion has two common sounds: /zhun/ in words like vision, fusion, television and decision, and /shun/ in words like mission, passion, tension and mansion. Saying the word aloud and listening for the buzz of /zh/ is a quick way to tell them apart.
How do you know whether to spell -tion or -sion?
There is no perfect rule, but a few patterns help. The ending -tion is far more common, so it is the safer first guess. The ending -sion often appears when the base word ends in d, de or se, so decide becomes decision, explode becomes explosion and confuse becomes confusion, and -ssion follows words ending in ss, as in discuss and discussion.
Which -tion and -sion words will my child read here?
The books for UFLI Lesson 119 use words such as action, attention, caption, collection, station and addition, along with vision, decision, confusion, mission and television. Many are long, so reading them in a story gives children practice splitting words into syllables. Stanovich (1986) showed that children who read more tend to grow their vocabulary faster, and words like these mostly arrive through reading.
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