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Tom's Shell Ride

Short vs Long Vowels 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Tom's Shell Ride
Tom's Shell Ride, page 1
1It was Tom's first time at the ice rink. A man at the gate gave him skates in his size.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 2
2Shelly could skate fast, and Tom wanted to skate just like her. "I hope I do not fall," said Tom.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 3
3"Hold the wall and take little steps," said Shelly. Tom took one step. Slip! He fell on his chin. He hopped up and tried again.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 4
4Slip! Down he went. Tom sat on the ice and felt as cold as an ice cube. "I am not good at this," he said.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 5
5He got up one more time. Slip! This time Tom flipped over on his shell. But he did not stop!
Tom's Shell Ride, page 6
6His shell spun round and round like a top. Then he slid all the way to the other side of the rink.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 7
7Tom laughed. "This is a fun ride!" he yelled. Shelly skated over and took his hand. "Hold on!" she said.
Tom's Shell Ride, page 8
8She pulled, and they glided around the rink together, Tom on his shell and Shelly on her skates. "Who needs skates?" said Tom.
Find each short-vowel word and the long-vowel word made by adding silent E (like cap and cape). Circle the pairs.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Tom go for the first time?
  2. What happened when Tom flipped over on his shell?
  3. How did Tom and Shelly glide around the rink together?
Keep practicing
Practice Short vs Long Vowels with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Short vs Long Vowels worksheets →
Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Tom's Shell Ride illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 8 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Short vs Long Vowels
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Short vs Long Vowels Worksheets

Target Words

cap tap man kit pin rid hop not rob cub cape tape

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have
← Jake's Cake Ride Scott and the Ice Mice →

About This Decodable Reader

“Tom's Shell Ride” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing short vs long vowels 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 short vs long vowels 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 short vs long vowels patterns, try our short vs long vowels phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.