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Shelly's Tin Bucket

Two Short Syllables 2nd Phase 5
Shelly's Tin Bucket
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 1
1Shelly had a street hockey contest tomorrow. She wanted to win it more than anything. So after lunch, she took her stick and a puck to the alley behind her house. Her pal Dan came along with his tablet to keep score. Shelly set up the net by the brick wall.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 2
2She took a big swing, and the puck went wide. It hit a trash can with a bang, and a gray kitten ran under the fence. Shelly tried again. That shot went wide too, and so did the next eight. "Zero for ten," said Dan, tapping a button on his tablet.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 3
3"I can count, Dan," said Shelly. She sat down on the step and let out a sigh. "If I hit like this tomorrow, the Goblins will win." Dan handed her a walnut muffin on a napkin from the snack basket Mom had packed.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 4
4"You hit hard," he said. "But you just look at the whole net. Pick one small spot instead." Shelly ate her muffin and thought about it. Then she saw an old tin bucket by the trash cans. She set the bucket in the corner of the net.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 5
5"That is my spot," she said. Her first shot missed the bucket. So did the next six. Then one shot hit the tin with a loud bang! Shelly grinned and lined up another. She hit the puck again and again while insects hummed around the alley lamp.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 6
6By sunset, the puck went to that bucket like it was pulled by a magnet. "Nine out of ten," said Dan. The next day, Shelly put on her red jersey and her helmet. The Goblins were as quick as rabbits, and the game was tied until the last minute.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 7
7Then the puck slid to Shelly. She did not look at the whole net. She looked at the corner, where the bucket had been, and slammed the puck. It flew past a Goblin's stick and into the net.
Shelly's Tin Bucket, page 8
8It was the winning goal! Her team yelled and jumped all around her. The contest judge pinned a blue velvet ribbon on her jersey. Later, at the team picnic, Dan held up the old tin bucket. "This needs a ribbon too," he said. Shelly laughed and tied her ribbon on it.
Circle or highlight all the two-syllable words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Shelly go to practice her hockey shots?
  2. What did Shelly set in the corner of the net?
  3. What did Shelly tie on the tin bucket at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Two Short Syllables with 10 more free worksheets

Word work sheets for this skill to build, split, sort and write, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

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Shelly's Tin Bucket printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Two Short Syllables
Grade Level 2nd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Two Short Syllables Worksheets

Target Words

napkin rabbit picnic muffin magnet basket kitten mitten button ribbon insect goblin

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

“Shelly's Tin Bucket” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd students practicing two short syllables 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 two short syllables 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 two short syllables patterns, try our two short syllables phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.