Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 79: ar & or, ore Review
We’re committed to making sure every child has stories they can read with confidence. These decodable books follow UFLI Lesson 79, which reviews ar and or, ore. Stories mix ar and or words such as star, farm, corn, storm and more, so children learn to tell the two r-controlled vowels apart while reading for meaning.
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I Am Not Bad!
Gad the ghost just wants a friend, but every time he floats out of the dark forest, kids run away screaming. He tries hiding at the market, disguising himself as a balloon, even dodging a snarling cat, but nothing seems to work. Will Gad ever find someone brave enough to play with him? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dark’, ‘far’, ‘park’, ‘market’, ‘smart’.
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Who Got My Nuts?
Pip has counted every nut in her tree-tunnel store, stacking them up before winter’s storms start. One morning she checks her hiding spot and finds it bare, not a single nut left behind! Who could have raided her hard-earned stash, and where could forty nuts possibly go? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dart’, ‘store’, ‘before’, ‘hard’, ‘morning’.
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Rose Is Like a Cork
Rose is far from home, and the gate to the farmyard is just too small for her. A friend has a plan: stretch, run, swim - anything to shrink down and squeeze through. Will any of it actually work? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘hard’, ‘far’, ‘more’, ‘sore’, and ‘smart’.
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Drop Them Both!
A boy sits on a hill with a rock and a feather, ready to drop them both. He is sure the rock will hit the ground first, but he needs to know how much more mass it really has. Can his dad help him find the answer before the drop? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘hard’, ‘dark’, ‘chart’, ‘sharp’, ‘start’.
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Got It!
Jed loves it when a ball never touches the ground, so when a kid on the field juggles like a pro, he jumps right in. His first big kick lands with a satisfying thump right in his chest, but keeping up with this fast, ball-taming stranger turns out to be a whole different game. Can Jed keep pace with a friend who is way smarter with a ball than he is? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘hard’, ‘far’, ‘smart’, ‘start’, ‘car’.
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Go Home, Animals!
Skel wakes to thumping music outside his window, and it’s not an earthquake or thunder, it’s llamas dancing across the farm. More arrive every morning, filling the yard and garden and munching through the crops, and shooing them off never works for long. Will Skel find a way to stop the llamas from taking over for good? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘farm’, ‘yard’, ‘morning’, ‘garden’, ‘forget’.
My Smell, My Style
Ron is a big red flower with white spots and a smell that could curl your toes. Every morning Ron takes a sniff and grins with pride, while the plants nearby can’t stand it. Even the winged bugs drift right past without landing. Will Ron ever find friends who love that smell as much as Ron does? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dark’, ‘star’, ‘morning’, ‘ignore’, and ‘snort’.
Bat in the Dark!
Deep in a dark cave, a miner named Steve digs for treasure until he hears wings above him: bats! With his torch gone and something big shuffling behind him in the dark, he sprints through the tunnels, clutching his pockets full of gems. Will he make it out before whatever is following him catches up? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dark’, ‘hard’, ‘sharp’, ’torch’, ‘sword’.
Can We Fish Yet?
A curious otter pup can’t wait to fish, but first Bess has lessons: swimming, hiding, and staying still when danger drifts near. Will the pups learn to be safe before they ever catch their first fish? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dart’, ‘hard’, ‘shore’, ‘starfish’, ‘morning’.
Simba Blocks the Path
Simba the Lion rules the riverbank and takes whatever he pleases, until Kalulu the Hare shows up with a clever tale about a much larger meal waiting nearby. Simba appoints Kalulu his royal advisor and marches off to find it, resting grandly by a pond while his hare guide scouts ahead. Will the proud king’s rush to charge across a strange muddy pan finally teach him something? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘hark’, ‘charge’, ‘morning’, ‘smart’, ‘story’.
The Moon at Dark
Under the dark desert sky, the Moon shines bright and knows something wonderful: she shrinks, fades, and always comes back again. She longs to tell the people below so they stop fearing death forever, but her light has no words. She finds a fast, smart messenger to carry her news across the sand, but can he keep the line straight when he starts to run? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dark’, ‘far’, ‘start’, ‘sharp’, and ‘short’.
Gĩcere Snorts for More
Gĩcere the hyena wants every meal for himself, and a smart rabbit is bored of losing her food to him. She seals her cooking pot with mud and warns him not to open it before it is done, but will his greedy heart let him wait? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘snort’, ‘smart’, ‘dart’, ‘bored’, ‘before’.
Juma and the Mud Cap
Juma is the unluckiest fisherman on the whole waterfront, and his family’s rice has run out. Far past the reef, in deep water, his net drags up something that isn’t a fish at all: a small jar, shaking hard, with a tiny voice trapped inside begging to be let out. Should he open it? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘hard’, ‘far’, ‘jar’, ‘shore’, ‘smart’.
Gulp, Chug, Yum!
Max can’t wait for the noodle-eating contest at the fun fest, and marks his name on the list before anyone else gets there. But when Tim marches up ready to compete, Max knows he’ll need to train hard to win. Will all that practice pay off when it matters most? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dart’, ‘march’, ‘start’, ‘far’, and ‘smart’.
Harsh Sun, Sore Land
The Sun and Moon once shone together, and no one ever slept in the endless, harsh light. Crops wilted, cattle panted, and the tired Moon began to wonder if there was another way to shine. Could she find a softer light to give the worn-out world its very first night? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘farm’, ‘harsh’, ‘storm’, ‘snort’, ‘worn’.
Diya and the Bug
Diya knows more about butterflies than anyone else in school, but she’s too shy to ever say so out loud. When her class visits the park and spots a striped caterpillar, and her teacher gets a surprising fact wrong, will Diya finally speak up? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘park’, ‘far’, ‘smart’, ‘story’, ‘marvel’.
Stand Still, Cattle!
Ned has fought zombies, skeletons, and worse, but nothing has hurt quite like fighting without armour. His magic Book has one idea: hide, made from cows. Easy, right? But every time Ned charges across the field yelling, the cows dart off before he gets close. Can Ned ever sneak up on a cow without scaring the whole herd far, far away? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 79: ar /ar/ & or, ore /or/ Review), this book practises words like ‘dart’, ‘hard’, ‘far’, ‘sharp’, ‘yard’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ar and or?
Both are r-controlled vowels, but they stand for different sounds: ar says /ar/ as in car and park, and or says /or/ as in for and fork. Pairs that differ only in the vowel make the contrast clear, for example farm and form, card and cord, or barn and born. Saying each pair slowly helps children hear how the vowel changes while the consonants stay the same.
Which r-controlled vowel is hardest to spell?
The /er/ sound is usually the hardest, because it has several spellings, such as er, ir and ur, and children must remember which one each word uses. By contrast, /ar/ is almost always spelled ar, and /or/ is usually spelled or or ore, which is one reason those two are often taught first. Getting ar and or secure gives children firm footing before the /er/ spellings arrive.
What is the best way to memorise r-controlled words?
Mapping works better than memorising: children say the word, break it into sounds, and link each sound to its letters, treating ar or or as one unit. Repeated reading in stories then turns those words into instant words, as our guide to orthographic mapping explains. Stanovich (1986) described how children who read easily tend to read more and keep growing, so that ease is worth building.
How can I check my child's reading at UFLI Lesson 79?
A good check at UFLI Lesson 79 is whether your child reads one-syllable ar and or words, such as dark, sharp, fork and snore, without much hesitation. The ar and or decodable books on this page let you see that in a story rather than a list. If one sound keeps getting mixed up, reread a book together and point out each r-controlled vowel as you go.
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