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Jane's Painted Box

Prefixes un- and re- 3rd Phase 5
Jane's Painted Box
Jane's Painted Box, page 1
1Jane wanted to make a special box for her friend Pam. She had an old, dusty wooden box on her shelf. It was grey and dull, and she wanted to repaint it with bright green and blue. But first, she had to find her art kit. She dragged her big, heavy art bag out from under her bed.
Jane's Painted Box, page 2
2Jane had to unzip the side pocket to find her key. She dug deep down past her crayons and white paper. At last, her fingers hit the cold metal key. She took it out and went to the wooden box. The lock was old and stiff. She tried to unlock the box, but the key would not move.
Jane's Painted Box, page 3
3Jane felt a bit unhappy as she worked with the rusty lock. "Please turn," she whispered. She gave it one big turn, and the lock clicked. She could undo the latch and open the lid. Jane had to unpack the box, which was full of old ribbon and rags. Some of the ribbon was in a big, messy bunch.
Jane's Painted Box, page 4
4Jane had to untie three tight bands just to clear the space. As she worked, she felt a bit unwell because of the thick dust. She sighed and sat back to rest. She saw her paint jars. They were really dry. She would have to refill them with fresh water from the sink to get the paint wet again.
Jane's Painted Box, page 5
5Jane carried her jars to the kitchen. Her small table was a bit shaky and unsafe for painting, so she moved to the big kitchen table instead. She got the water to refill her jars. She also found an old art book.
Jane's Painted Box, page 6
6Jane had to reread the steps on how to paint on old wood so she would not make a mistake. She did not want to be unkind and give Pam a sloppy box. Jane took her brush and began to paint. But she went too fast. The blue paint ran into the green paint and made a big, muddy spot.
Jane's Painted Box, page 7
7"Oh no," Jane said. She knew she had to redo the top section. She took a damp cloth to wipe the wet paint away. She had to reset her plan and paint much more slowly this time. With careful strokes, Jane painted a beautiful green field with blue flowers.
Jane's Painted Box, page 8
8She let it dry under the warm sunlight by the window. When she was done, she had to return the brushes and jars to her art bag. She felt very proud of her work. The box was no longer unfit to give. She could not wait to see Pam smile when she saw it.
Circle or highlight all the words that start with un- or re- in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Jane find her key?
  2. Why did Jane move to the kitchen table?
  3. Where did Jane put the box to dry?
Keep practicing
Practice Prefixes un- and re- with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Prefixes un- and re- worksheets →
Jane's Painted Box printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Prefixes un- and re-
Grade Level 3rd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Prefixes un- and re- Worksheets

Target Words

unlock undo unzip unpack unfit unhappy unkind unsafe untie unwell redo refill

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

“Jane's Painted Box” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 3rd students practicing prefixes un- and re- 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 prefixes un- and re- 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 prefixes un- and re- patterns, try our prefixes un- and re- phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.