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Gwen and the Gold Bell

Rule Breakers — ILD, IND, OLD, OST 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Gwen and the Gold Bell
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 1
1Gwen and Ben went to play on the grass behind the old mill. Ben had a little gold bell. "I will hide this bell," he said.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 2
2"You must find it. I will tell you if you are hot or cold." Gwen put on a blindfold. But Ben did not hide the bell.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 3
3He gave it to Dot the dog! She took five steps. "Cold," said Ben. She turned and took two more. "Hot! Very hot!" he yelled.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 4
4Gwen bent down to grab the bell. "No, cold again!" said Ben. Gwen stopped. How could a bell go from hot to cold so fast?
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 5
5Ben was trying not to laugh. Gwen did not know that Dot the dog was holding the bell in her mouth.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 6
6Dot would not stand still! "Hush, Ben," said Gwen. "Do not tell me a thing." She stood very still.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 7
7Then she heard it. Chime, chime! The bell was just behind her. Gwen spun around and hugged a wild, wagging dog. She took off the blindfold.
Gwen and the Gold Bell, page 8
8Dot dropped the gold bell in her hand. "You bold little pup!" said Gwen. "I found the bell, but best of all, I found you."
Circle the words where I says its name (like wild and find). Underline the words where O says its name (like cold and most).

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Gwen and Ben go to play?
  2. Who did Ben give the bell to?
  3. Who did Gwen hug at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Rule Breakers — ILD, IND, OLD, OST 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 Rule Breakers — ILD, IND, OLD, OST worksheets →
Gwen and the Gold Bell printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Rule Breakers — ILD, IND, OLD, OST
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Rule Breakers — ILD, IND, OLD, OST Worksheets

Target Words

wild child mild find kind mind blind grind bind rind cold gold

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have

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About This Decodable Reader

“Gwen and the Gold Bell” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing rule breakers — ild, ind, old, ost 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 rule breakers — ild, ind, old, ost 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 rule breakers — ild, ind, old, ost patterns, try our rule breakers — ild, ind, old, ost phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.