Beth was a kind girl. She sat by a tall fir pine and saw a little bird. The bird sat on a stick and did not sing. Its dish in the dirt had not a drop. Beth thought, "That bird must be thirsty."
First, Beth went to get a fresh drink. She put it in the bird’s dish. Then, she held the dish up. "Here you go, little bird," she whispered. The bird flew down from the fir pine. It took a long drink. Then it gave a glad chirp. Beth felt full of mirth.
“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 2-page PDF includes the reading passage on page one and a coloring page illustration on page two. Print both pages, staple together, and your child has an instant mini-book. The coloring activity reinforces story comprehension and makes reading practice feel like a fun activity rather than homework.
This reader is part of our collection of 50 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.