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Chuck Digs to Hal's

Compound Words 2nd Phase 5
Chuck Digs to Hal's
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 1
1Chuck lived in a snug den under a big oak tree. His best friend, Hal the hedgehog, lived in a little house on a hilltop across the field. In summer, Chuck could walk uphill to Hal's door in no time. But in winter, the snow got so deep and cold that the trip was very hard.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 2
2Chuck had to stop and rest a lot, and he got wet and cold. "I will dig a path under the ground," Chuck said one cold morning. "Then I can visit Hal on snowy days." He put a cupcake in his backpack for a snack and began to dig. He dug and dug until his paws were brown with dirt.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 3
3At last, he pushed his nose up through the ground. He had popped up inside a muddy pigpen! The warm barn nearby made the mud soft. A big pig sniffed at him, and mud dripped off Chuck's ears. "This is not Hal's house," Chuck said, and he dug back down. The next time, he popped up in a sandbox.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 4
4Sand got in his eyes and in his fur. The time after that, he bumped his head on something hard. He poked his nose up and saw that he was right under a mailbox! Chuck sat down in the dark and ate his cupcake. "I keep getting lost down here," he said.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 5
5"I cannot see where I am going." Then Chuck thought of a plan. He went back to his den and pulled a sack of walnuts out of a dark corner. He had saved them for winter. He went outside and set the walnuts in a long line across the snow, from his den all the way to Hal's door.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 6
6It was a long, cold trip, but he only had to do it one time. Each walnut was a few steps from the next one. Back under the ground, Chuck dug slowly. After a little while, he poked his nose up to peek.
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 7
7There was a walnut right next to him! He was still on track. He dug on to the next walnut, and the next, and the next. Each time, he checked that the line of walnuts was still close by. At sunset, Chuck pushed up through the snow one last time. He was right at Hal's door!
Chuck Digs to Hal's, page 8
8He knocked, and Hal opened it with a big grin. "Chuck, you made it!" Hal said. "Come inside and get warm." They sat by the fire and shared a big bowl of hot popcorn. Later, Chuck picked up his walnuts so he could snack on them all winter. Now, on every snowy day, Chuck could visit his best friend.
Circle or highlight all the compound words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Hal the hedgehog live?
  2. What did Chuck set in a line across the snow?
  3. What did Chuck and Hal share by the fire?
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Practice Compound Words 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.

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Chuck Digs to Hal's printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Compound Words
Grade Level 2nd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Compound Words Worksheets

Target Words

sunset backpack cupcake bathtub cobweb sandbox hilltop laptop hotdog pigpen sunfish catfish

Sight Words

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

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About This Decodable Reader

“Chuck Digs to Hal's” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd students practicing compound words 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 compound words 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 compound words patterns, try our compound words phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.