Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review
Our mission is making literacy accessible to every child, one decodable story at a time. UFLI Lesson 97 reviews vowel teams and diphthongs, so these books mix familiar patterns, from ai in aim and ee in bee to oi in coin and ou in cloud. Children have to read closely instead of expecting one pattern, and some of these books are free to read on the website.
Free
Anansi and the Low Hum
Deep in the forest, Anansi finds a strange humming rock covered in soft green moss. He learns just seven words can knock any creature flat asleep, and he starts using the trick to steal food from Elephant, Lion, and Hornbill. But little Bush Deer is watching from the shadows, counting every stolen treat. Will she find a way to turn Anansi’s own trick against him? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘sweet’, ‘south’, ’treat’, ‘follow’, and ‘crowd’.
Free
Dot Hid
Dot found a photo of Mum with short, pretty hair tucked between old books, and decided she wanted the same look. She grabbed the craft scissors and gave herself a snip, snip, snip haircut all on her own. Would her big idea turn out exactly as she hoped? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘found’, ’look’, ‘right’, ‘down’, and ’need’.
Free
Both Boys Would Not Let Go
A boy finally has one small toy that’s all his own, until an enormous beast in the yard sweeps him away on a wild ride. He races across the plains, free and happy, until he spots his brother crouching under a tree. Then the mad beast turns, feet pounding the ground straight toward him. What will the boy do when it’s his brother in danger now? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘beast’, ‘reach’, ’tight’, ‘howl’, ‘ground’.
Free
The Best Stuff in the World
Jim can’t stop bragging that he has “the best stuff in the world” back home, way better than his pal’s shiny toy boat. The trouble is, his toy box is a mess of broken junk! Can Jim find something amazing enough to prove it before tomorrow? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘boat’, ’tomorrow’, ‘room’, ‘cool’, and ‘found’.
Lost in the Dust
A rooster arrives at a new farmhouse with strict rules for himself: hold your head high, never beg, crow like you mean it. He settles into farm life, guarding the corn each morning, but one night a strange creeping sound outside pulls him from sleep. Something is not right in the yard. What will he do about it? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ’loud’, ‘crouch’, ‘sneak’, ‘growl’, and ‘caught’.
Elephant's Odd Deal
In the dry season, one waterhole is left, and Elephant claims it all, spraying away any small beast that creeps close. Tortoise makes him an odd deal: crack this round shell by sundown, or open the water to everyone. Will a slow, quiet mind outlast Elephant’s mighty stomp? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘deal’, ‘round’, ‘slow’, ‘sound’, ’each’.
Tim Cannot Stop
Tim is famous in his flock for one thing: he never, ever stops. He stops for butterflies, worms, ponds, and bugs, and one evening he stops so long that his flock disappears into the darkening sky above the wildflowers. Alone as night falls, can Tim make it back before it’s too late? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘flew’, ’night’, ‘found’, ‘bright’ and ‘voice’.
Give Back My Diamond!
Ned has dug for three whole days and finally found a diamond, but a zombie shoves him into the lava and steals it right from under him. Now Ned has to chase it through tunnels full of creepers, skeletons, and worse, just to get back what’s his. Can Ned catch the zombie and reach his diamond before something even scarier catches him first? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘shout’, ‘deep’, ‘feet’, ‘green’, and ’loud’.
No Other Mage Like Me!
Ned’s talking book insists there are no other books like it, but making one means straight sugar cane rows, perfect leather, and zero mistakes. As night falls and monsters creep closer, will Ned finish his very first books in time? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘ready’, ‘grow’, ‘proud’, ‘glow’, ’need’.
Do Not Peep!
Hen has a nest full of eggs, and she is not moving for breakfast, lunch, or even her favourite show. She sits through sun and rain, sips her tea, and waits. But when tiny taps start coming from inside the shells, will Hen be ready for what hatches next? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘peep’, ‘weeks’, ‘wait’, ‘wow’, ‘stay’.
Mbe and the Dry Time
Mbe the tortoise watches the dry season crack the land, and every family must share the last yams equally from the village barn. But Mbe is small, and he is sure he needs more than the others think, so he finds a secret gap low in the wall, just right for a tortoise. Will anyone notice the yams disappearing in the dark? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ’night’, ‘deep’, ‘greedy’, ‘round’, ‘sprout’.
Leopard at Dawn
A leopard is tired of being outsmarted by a clever hare, so he waits at a narrow path near two rocky hills at dawn until hare has nowhere to run. But when leopard threatens to carry hare off for all to see, hare begs for anything but the deep, dark thornbush nearby, so what is hare really hiding? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ’each’, ‘paw’, ‘caught’, ‘shout’, ‘prowl’.
Naserian Follows Tracks
Naserian wakes to find the milk-calf Tipilit gone from the boma, the gate latch loose, and lions prowling at dusk. She spots a small, chipped hoofprint and follows the trail as it leads down a rocky, shadowed slope toward the escarpment. Will she read the tracks in time to bring Tipilit home safely? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘round’, ‘crouch’, ‘growl’, ‘shout’, and ‘prowl’.
Nothing Can Stop Tom Now
Man has big plans: dig the best garden this street has ever seen. But halfway through digging, the sky lights up bright, and fish start falling all around him! Where could they possibly be coming from? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘cloud’, ‘bright’, ‘mouth’, ‘spread’, and ‘proof’.
Down the Toilet!
Pat has a big, stinky question nobody wants to answer: where does the pee and poop actually go when he flushes? His family won’t say, the cat next door just hisses, so Pat decides to find out for himself and jumps straight into the toilet. What does he find down there in the dark? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘clean’, ‘deep’, ‘stay’, ‘shook’, ‘sea’.
The Monster We Can't Beat
Sam used to be unbeatable. He and his best friend battled tree squids, hedge trolls, and every backyard beast in town, and always won. But then a strange new monster crept into Sam’s head, one with no claws or teeth, and Sam stopped laughing, stopped playing, stopped being Sam. Can two kids and a broom really beat a monster that won’t even look up? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 97: Vowel Teams & Diphthongs Review), this book practises words like ‘beat’, ‘fight’, ‘claw’, ’night’, and ‘proof’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
Which English diphthongs do children learn to read?
In early phonics, the diphthongs children usually learn to read are oi and oy, as in coin and boy, and ou and ow, as in cloud and cow. Linguists also count the gliding vowels in words like my and day, but those are usually taught as long vowels. For a review like UFLI Lesson 97, the practical goal is reading these spellings quickly when they appear side by side.
What is a monophthong, and how is it different from a diphthong?
A monophthong is a single, steady vowel sound, like the ee in bee or the short a in cat. A diphthong changes as you say it, gliding from one sound into another, like the oi in coin. Asking children to hold the sound and feel whether their mouth moves is a simple way to tell the two apart, and it builds phonemic awareness at the same time.
Why do review books mix so many vowel teams?
In everyday reading, vowel teams do not arrive one at a time, so mixed practice is closer to real books. A child reading aim, bee, boat and cloud on one page has to look at each word carefully instead of expecting the same pattern every time. A meta-analysis by Ehri et al. (2001) found that children taught phonics systematically became stronger readers than children taught with unsystematic or no phonics, and regular review is part of teaching systematically.
How can I help my child with mixed vowel teams at home?
Keep sessions short, and let your child read a familiar story first, then a new one. When a word causes trouble, point to the vowel team, ask what sound it makes, and have your child reread the whole sentence. Taking turns with pages, as in paired reading, keeps the practice relaxed while your child still does the decoding.
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