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Scout's Lost Hound

Diphthong — OU 1st-2nd Phase 4
Scout's Lost Hound
Scout's Lost Hound, page 1
1Scout's hound was not in the house. Where did he go?
Scout's Lost Hound, page 2
2Scout went out to look. She ran round the big lot.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 3
3She put her hands to her mouth. "Where are you?" she gave a big shout.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 4
4Then Scout heard a sound from the back of the lot.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 5
5She ran to a little mound of mud.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 6
6There she found him! Her hound sat on top of the mound.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 7
7He looked down at a fresh green sprout. He looked so proud.
Scout's Lost Hound, page 8
8"There you are!" Scout said with a grin. She was glad she found him.
Circle or highlight all the OU diphthong words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Scout go out to look for her hound?
  2. What did Scout do before she gave a big shout?
  3. What was Scout’s hound looking down at on the mound?
Keep practicing
Practice Diphthong — OU 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 Diphthong — OU worksheets →
Scout's Lost Hound printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Diphthong — OU
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Diphthong — OU Worksheets

Target Words

out our ouch mouth south found hound mound pound round sound cloud

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be
← Kate's Joyful Toy Kate's Big Soup Pot →

About This Decodable Reader

“Scout's Lost Hound” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing diphthong — ou 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 diphthong — ou 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 diphthong — ou patterns, try our diphthong — ou phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.