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Tam and the Blue Vane

Vowel Teams — EW and UE 1st-2nd Phase 4
Tam and the Blue Vane
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 1
1Kim liked to make things on the bench by her shed. Today she had a stack of new blue blocks. She glued little red and white bits on top of each one.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 2
2Tam liked to run fast. She raced past the bench so fast that she made a big gust. The blocks fell down, and the glued bits flew off into the grass.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 3
3"Tam, look what you did!" Kim yelled. "You must keep away from my bench!" "I just like to run," said Tam.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 4
4They argued for a long time. At last, Tam walked away, sad. The day after, the grass was wet with dew. Kim drew a plan for a vane with blue fins.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 5
5She made it and set it on top of a pole. But the day was hot and still. The fins did not spin at all.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 6
6Kim sat on the bench and felt glum. "It needs a gust, and there is no gust today," she said. Tam saw her from the hill, and she had a plan.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 7
7She ran down and dashed around and around the pole. Then the blue fins spun, and they spun so fast! Kim jumped up. "Tam, you did it!" she yelled.
Tam and the Blue Vane, page 8
8"I was rude to you, but you are a true pal." Tam grinned. Then the two of them glued the bits back on the blue blocks together.
Circle or highlight all the EW and UE vowel team words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What color were Kim’s new blocks?
  2. Why did Kim’s vane not spin?
  3. What did Kim and Tam do together at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Vowel Teams — EW and UE 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 Teams — EW and UE worksheets →
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Vowel Teams — EW and UE
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Vowel Teams — EW and UE Worksheets

Target Words

new few dew chew grew flew blew drew stew crew blue clue

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

“Tam and the Blue Vane” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing vowel teams — ew and ue 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 teams — ew and ue 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 teams — ew and ue patterns, try our vowel teams — ew and ue phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.