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Thad's Little Stool

Vowel Team — OO 1st-2nd Phase 4
Thad's Little Stool
Thad's Little Stool, page 1
1Thad had a wood shop at the back of his home. Every tool had its own hook, and the room smelled like fresh pine. Today Thad wanted to make a tall stool.
Thad's Little Stool, page 2
2He took a look at his book of plans. Then he cut the wood and put on four long legs. Thad set the stool down and sat on it.
Thad's Little Stool, page 3
3The stool shook, and then it tipped! "One leg is too long," said Thad. He took his saw and cut a bit off that leg. Then he sat again. Now the stool tipped the other way.
Thad's Little Stool, page 4
4So Thad trimmed a leg on the other side. Then he trimmed one more. He cut and checked, cut and checked, again and again. By noon, the stool did not tip at all. But it was not tall.
Thad's Little Stool, page 5
5It only came up to the top of his foot! Thad felt glum. "Who can sit on a stool this small?" he said. Just then, his little pal Jim poked his nose in the door.
Thad's Little Stool, page 6
6Jim looked at the stool, and his face lit up. He hopped on and sat down. The stool did not tip a bit. "This is the best stool yet!" said Jim.
Thad's Little Stool, page 7
7"It is just my size. It is so cool!" Thad looked at the little stool, then at his little pal, and he had to laugh. "Then it is for you," said Thad.
Thad's Little Stool, page 8
8"Take it home." Jim gave him a big hug and carried the stool away on his back. Then Thad got out more wood. He still wanted a tall stool, and this time he would cut much less!
Circle or highlight all the OO 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 Thad want to make today?
  2. What happened when Thad first sat on the stool?
  3. Who got to take the little stool home?
Keep practicing
Practice Vowel Team — OO with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Vowel Team — OO worksheets →
Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Thad's Little Stool illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 8 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Vowel Team — OO
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Vowel Team — OO Worksheets

Target Words

moon zoo food pool cool room boot roof spoon tooth book look

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

“Thad's Little Stool” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing vowel team — oo 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 — oo 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 211 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with vowel team — oo patterns, try our vowel team — oo phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.