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Shelly Rows to Ben

Vowel Team — OW (long O) 1st-2nd Phase 4
Shelly Rows to Ben
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 1
1Shelly sat in a little red ship on the lake. Her yellow vest was snug. Ben stood on the dock on the far side.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 2
2"Row over to me!" he yelled. "Then I will show you the frog pond!" Shelly gave a big tug. She pulled fast with one hand and slow with the other.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 3
3The ship did not go to Ben. It spun round and round! She tried once more and pulled one hand as fast as she could. The ship spun again.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 4
4A black crow sat on a post and looked at her. Shelly felt her face get red. "Let me think," she said. She sat still, and the ship rocked on the lake.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 5
5One hand had pulled fast, and the other had pulled slow. "That is why I spin!" she said. "The fast side pushes the ship around."
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 6
6This time she bent her elbows and pulled both hands back at the same slow pace. "Row, row," she said with each stroke. "Row, row." The ship did not spin.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 7
7It slid over the lake as small waves flowed past. Fish swam below her. Ben's dock grew big and then huge. At last the ship bumped the dock.
Shelly Rows to Ben, page 8
8Ben grabbed the rope. "You did it!" said Ben. "Now follow me to the frog pond." Shelly grinned and hopped out. "Slow and together," she said. "That is the trick!"
Circle or highlight all the OW vowel team words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Ben say he would show Shelly?
  2. Why did Shelly’s ship spin round and round?
  3. What did Shelly say was the trick at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Vowel Team — OW (long O) 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 Vowel Team — OW (long O) worksheets →
Shelly Rows to Ben printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Vowel Team — OW (long O)
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Vowel Team — OW (long O) Worksheets

Target Words

bow low mow row sow tow slow snow grow flow blow glow

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be

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About This Decodable Reader

“Shelly Rows to Ben” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing vowel team — ow (long o) 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 vowel team — ow (long o) 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 vowel team — ow (long o) patterns, try our vowel team — ow (long o) phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.