1 Decodable Reading Passage
A short, decodable story embedding comparing: -er and -est words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.
Bret and Tom stood by the pond. Bret was much faster than Tom. In short, he was the fastest of all his friends. Tom was a turtle, so he was much slower than his pal. "Let us race to the tallest log across the pond," Bret said to Tom. "That log is bigger than my home! It will be a fun contest."
Bret wanted to win. He wanted to take the quickest way. He jumped right in and swam right across the pond. This path was short, but it went through the deepest water. Soon, Bret was in the darkest part of the pond. The sun did not shine down there. The water was very cold. It was the coldest spot in the whole pond.
Tom did not swim into the cold, deep water. He took a longer path by the sunny shore. The water by the edge was much warmer. Tom was smaller than Bret, but he liked to stay in the sun. He did not fret that his path was the longest way. It was a safe and happy swim.
Out in the middle, Bret was too cold to keep going. His arms felt weak. He got onto a wet rock. The rock was stiff and hard. He wished he had a softer spot to rest. He was shaking in the wind. "I need help," he called out to his friend.
Tom kept swimming. He saw Bret sitting on the rock. Tom was the kindest friend a pal could have. He swam out to the rock to help Bret. "Grab my shell," Tom told his pal. "We will go a better way together. It will be safe."
Bret held on to Tom. Tom swam them both back to the sunny side of the pond. They went past the smallest green plants. The warm water felt nice. It was a slower ride, but Bret felt warm again. His arms felt strong, and he did not shake.
At last, they made it to the big log. Bret gave Tom a big hug. "Your way was longer, but it was the best," Bret said. "Next time, I will not take the deep path. I will take the sunny path with you!"
This story is part of Level 5. Get all 25 Level 5 illustrated mini-books in one print-ready file ($14) →
2 Word Sort
Cut out the word cards and sort them into the correct columns: Adds -er vs Adds -est.
3 Phrasing Practice Cards
Practice reading these phrases for fluency. Cut out the cards and read them quickly and smoothly.
4 RAN Chart (Rapid Naming)
Read each word in the grid as quickly as you can. Time yourself and try to beat your best time!
5 Word Search
Find and circle the comparing: -er and -est words hidden in the grid. Words go across, down, and diagonally — a fun way to reinforce comparing: -er and -est word recognition.
📖 More Comparing: -er and -est Stories
A new decodable story with the same comparing: -er and -est sounds — each comes with its own set of worksheets.
