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Beth's Thirsty Bird

R-Controlled — IR 1st-2nd Phase 4
Beth's Thirsty Bird
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 1
1Beth was a kind girl.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 2
2She sat by a tall fir pine and saw a little bird.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 3
3The bird sat on a stick and did not sing.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 4
4Its dish in the dirt had not a drop.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 5
5Beth thought, "That bird must be thirsty." First, Beth went to get a fresh drink.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 6
6She put it in the bird’s dish. Then, she held the dish up.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 7
7"Here you go, little bird," she whispered. The bird flew down from the fir pine.
Beth's Thirsty Bird, page 8
8It took a long drink. Then it gave a glad chirp. Beth felt full of mirth.
Circle or highlight all the IR r-controlled words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Beth see the little bird?
  2. What did Beth put in the bird’s dish?
  3. How did Beth feel at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice R-Controlled — IR with 10 more free worksheets

Picture worksheets to read, match and spell these words, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

Get the R-Controlled — IR worksheets →
Beth's Thirsty Bird printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill R-Controlled — IR
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets R-Controlled — IR Worksheets

Target Words

bird dirt fir firm first girl sir stir third swirl twirl whirl

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be
← Jane's Purple Fern Ron's Big Storm →

About This Decodable Reader

“Beth's Thirsty Bird” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing r-controlled — ir 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 r-controlled — ir 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 r-controlled — ir patterns, try our r-controlled — ir phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.