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Beth and the Wren

Adding -ing and -ed 2nd-3rd Phase 5
Beth and the Wren
Beth and the Wren, page 1
1It was a warm spring morning at school. The class was mixing paint and printing leaf shapes on big pieces of paper. Beth had just dusted off her desk when she heard a soft flapping sound. A little brown wren had come in the open window!
Beth and the Wren, page 2
2This was not what the class had planned for the morning. The wren flew around the room, twisting and turning. Then it bumped into the glass and landed on a shelf. Its tiny chest was going up and down fast.
Beth and the Wren, page 3
3"I will catch it!" yelled Dan. He went running after the wren, waving his cap. He batted at the air, but the wren flew up high. Now the other kids were jumping and yelling too. The wren hunted for a way out.
Beth and the Wren, page 4
4It hit the glass again and again. Beth felt bad for the little bird. "Stop, Dan!" she said. "You are scaring it more." Dan stopped and looked up. The wren was resting on top of the clock, shaking. "I just wanted to help," he said.
Beth and the Wren, page 5
5"But how do we get it out?" Beth thought hard. "A bird will fly to the light," she said. "Please, everyone, sit still and be very quiet." The class sat down. Beth closed the drapes on every window but one, and the room became dim.
Beth and the Wren, page 6
6Then she pushed the last window open as wide as it would go. Bright sunlight spilled across the floor. "Now we wait," Beth whispered. No one moved. Dan held his cap in his lap. The wren began to hop along the top of the clock.
Beth and the Wren, page 7
7It turned its head this way and that. Then it spotted the sunlight! The wren zipped across the room and out the window, into the blue sky. It landed in the oak tree the class had planted last year, and it began to sing.
Beth and the Wren, page 8
8The class clapped. Dan grinned at Beth. "Sitting still worked better than running," he said. "Next time, I will keep my cap on my head." Beth laughed, and they both went back to the paint.
Circle or highlight all the words with an -ing or -ed ending in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What kind of bird flew into the classroom?
  2. Why did Beth tell Dan to stop chasing the wren?
  3. Where did the wren land at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Adding -ing and -ed with 10 more free worksheets

Word work sheets for this skill to build, split, sort and write, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

Get the Adding -ing and -ed worksheets →
Beth and the Wren printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Adding -ing and -ed
Grade Level 2nd-3rd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Adding -ing and -ed Worksheets

Target Words

running hopping jumping playing resting twisting mixing packing kicking printing batted planted

Sight Words

the a and to was is it she he they said have with you are of for her there one into what when out about

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A Safe Sand Fort
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← Jay Wraps a Sled Bev and the Wet Letter →

About This Decodable Reader

“Beth and the Wren” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd-3rd students practicing adding -ing and -ed phonics patterns. This mini-book uses phonetically controlled vocabulary so beginning readers can successfully sound out nearly every word in the story, building confidence and reinforcing the specific phonics skills they're learning.

The free PDF is a full-color illustrated mini-book: a cover, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the adding -ing and -ed words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the five sheets, cut each one in half along the dashed line, and staple — your child has a real little book to hold. A read-aloud version with one large page per sheet is also included for projecting to the whole class.

This reader is part of our collection of free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with adding -ing and -ed patterns, try our adding -ing and -ed phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.