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Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle

The -le Ending 2nd-3rd Phase 5
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 1
1Gwen looked for Toby, her favorite little purple turtle toy. He was a tiny clay toy, but she loved him very much. She could not find him in any place. She looked in her bedroom, but he was not there.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 2
2Next, Gwen looked under the low wooden table in the hall. She checked behind a box that held a big puzzle. There was a green candle on the shelf next to it, but no turtle.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 3
3She found a shiny blue marble on the floor, but still no Toby. Gwen decided to check outside. She quickly ate a red apple. "We have a big job today," Gwen said to Gus, her loyal dog.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 4
4Gus gave a happy wag and a gentle lick on her hand. It was a simple plan: search the backyard from the fence to the middle of the grass. The grass was still wet from the morning rain.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 5
5Gwen stepped in a muddy puddle and wet her socks. She walked past the tall green bushes that she liked to call the deep jungle. Gus ran ahead, sniffing every wet leaf and gray pebble. Suddenly, Gwen tripped on a hidden branch.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 6
6She felt a sharp pain in her ankle. "Ouch!" she cried, sitting down on the damp ground. She rubbed her sore ankle. It hurt, but she did not cry. Gus trotted back to her side and sat down.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 7
7As Gwen sat on the ground, she looked deep into the thick weeds. Right there, tucked under a big leaf, was a flash of bright color. It was her purple toy! He must have come out of her pocket when she played there before.
Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle, page 8
8Gwen let out a happy giggle and grabbed her toy. "Look, Gus, I found him!" she said. Her ankle did not hurt so much now. Together, the girl and her gentle dog walked back to the house to rest.
Circle or highlight all the words that end in -le in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What is Gwen’s favorite purple turtle toy named?
  2. What did Gwen trip on while searching outside?
  3. Where did Gwen find her purple toy?
Keep practicing
Practice The -le Ending with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
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Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill The -le Ending
Grade Level 2nd-3rd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets The -le Ending Worksheets

Target Words

little apple table purple candle middle bottle giggle puzzle saddle turtle marble

Sight Words

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

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About This Decodable Reader

“Gwen's Lost Purple Turtle” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd-3rd students practicing the -le ending 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 the -le ending 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 the -le ending patterns, try our the -le ending phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.