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Bret's Fat Suitcase

Vowel Teams — OE and UI 1st-2nd Phase 4
Bret's Fat Suitcase
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 1
1Bret was going on a cruise! He got his big red suitcase and set it on the rug in his den. He wanted to pack all the things he might use.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 2
2In went his swimsuit for the sun deck. In went his best suit, just in case. Then in went a pile of fruit and three jugs of juice.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 3
3Bret pulled the lid down, but it would not shut. He pushed on it with both hands. He sat on it. He even stood on it on his tiptoes.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 4
4The lid still popped back up, and Bret slipped off and bumped his toe. "What a nuisance!" said Bret, rubbing his toe. "I will miss the ship, and I will get a bruise as well!"
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 5
5Just then his pal Chuck came in. Chuck looked at the fat suitcase and laughed. "Bret, a cruise ship has lots of fruit and juice," he said.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 6
6"Take them back out. You do not have to pack them." "But I do not want to let good fruit go bad," said Bret.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 7
7"Then we will have a snack," said Chuck with a grin. So the two pals sat on the rug to eat the juicy plums and grapes and drink every drop of juice.
Bret's Fat Suitcase, page 8
8Then Bret pulled the lid down one last time. Zip! The suitcase shut with no fuss at all. "Thank you, Chuck," said Bret. He picked up his suitcase and went off to catch his ship.
Circle or highlight all the OE and UI vowel team words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where was Bret going?
  2. Why would Bret’s suitcase not shut?
  3. What did Bret and Chuck do with the fruit and juice?
Keep practicing
Practice Vowel Teams — OE and UI with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Vowel Teams — OE and UI worksheets →
Bret's Fat Suitcase 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 Vowel Teams — OE and UI
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Vowel Teams — OE and UI Worksheets

Target Words

toe toes doe foe hoe woe goes tiptoe oboe fruit suit juice

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be
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About This Decodable Reader

“Bret's Fat Suitcase” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing vowel teams — oe and ui 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 vowel teams — oe and ui 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 221 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with vowel teams — oe and ui patterns, try our vowel teams — oe and ui phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.