8590 SSD workbook yellow print ready watermark LR

STORY AUTHOR 

DR ROSEMARY ALLEN 

NAME: 

CLASS: 

© R.I.C. Publications® 

YELLOW 

Low resolution display copy 

© Prim-Ed Publishing 

EXPLORE THE 

STARS!

Star strategy decodable workbook 

(Yellow) 

Copyright notice 

Published by R.I.C. Publications® and Prim-Ed Publishing 2024 

Copyright © R.I.C. Publications® 2024 

Copyright © of decodable stories Dr Rosemary Allen 2024 

R.I.C. Publications® acknowledges the Wadjak people of the 

Nyoongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on 

which our Western Australian office is based. We acknowledge 

the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia 

and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. 

R.I.C. Publications® recognises the role of First Nations Elders 

as Australia’s first educators. 

We acknowledge and appreciate all cultures and peoples. 

ISBN 978-1-922843-97-5 

RIC–8590 

Titles in this series: 

Star strategy decodable workbook (Pink) 

Star strategy decodable workbook (Yellow) 

Star strategy decodable workbook (Green) 

Star strategy decodable workbook (Purple) 

Disclaimer 

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and Prim-Ed Publishing cannot be held responsible for 

mistakes or omissions, but we do endeavour to rectify 

any errors found within our products. Please contact us to 

provide feedback. 


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Western Australia 6924 

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© Prim-Ed Publishing

Foreword 

Hi there! Welcome to the Star strategy decodable workbook series. These 

special workbooks are here to help you become a language superstar. But 

what does that mean? 

Language superstars know that the sounds in words can be written as 

letters (or groups of letters), and that these symbols can be read as different 

sounds. It’s just like a special code. We can use this special code to help us 

spell and read the words that are all around us. 

Inside each workbook you will find lots of fun activities to help you learn how 

to become a language superstar. There are activities to help you learn the code and build the 

skills you need to encode (spell) and decode (read) words. Being a language superstar means 

mastering both of these important skills together. 

As you work through these books, you will learn and improve one step at a time. By the end, 

you will have all the skills you need to become a language superstar! So, let’s follow the stars to 

an exciting adventure with the Star strategy decodable workbook series. 

Contents 

Educator notes..................................................................................................................................................................................... iv 

Superstar steps................................................................................................................................................................................... vii 

Daily practice 1..............................2 

Skill builder 1...................................... 3 

Skill builder 2.....................................4 

Skill builder 3..................................... 5 

Skill builder 4..................................... 6 

Check in............................................... 7 

Star story 1......................................... 8 

Star story 2.......................................10 

Bonus star story 1.......................... 12 

Bonus star story 2......................... 13 

Daily practice 2...........................14 

Skill builder 1.................................... 15 

Skill builder 2................................... 16 

Skill builder 3................................... 17 

Skill builder 4................................... 18 

Check in............................................. 19 

Star story 1.......................................20 

Star story 2.......................................22 

Bonus star story 1..........................24 

Bonus star story 2.........................26 


Skill builder 1....................................29 

Skill builder 2...................................30 

Skill builder 3................................... 31 

Skill builder 4...................................32 

Check in.............................................33 

Star story 1.......................................34 

Star story 2.......................................36 


Bonus star story 2........................ 40 


Skill builder 1....................................43 


Skill builder 2.................................. 44 

Skill builder 3.................................. 45 

Skill builder 4.................................. 46 

Check in.............................................47 

Star story 1...................................... 48 

Star story 2...................................... 50 




Skill builder 1....................................57 

Skill builder 2...................................58 

Skill builder 3...................................59 

Skill builder 4.................................. 60 

Check in............................................. 61 

Star story 1.......................................62 

Star story 2...................................... 64 




Skill builder 1.................................... 71 

Skill builder 2...................................72 

Skill builder 3...................................73 

Skill builder 4...................................74 

Check in.............................................75 



Star story 1.......................................76 

Star story 2.......................................78 



Congratulations superstar!.............................................................................................................................................................84 

Authentic text.......................................................................................................................................................................................86 

Bridging activity.................................................................................................................................................................................94 

Fluency checklist.................................................................................................................................................................................95 

Decoding strategies..........................................................................................................................................................................96 

Removeable resources..................................................................................................................................................................... 97 

R.I.C. Publications®/Prim-Ed Publishing 978-1-922843-97-5 STAR STRATEGY DECODABLE WORKBOOK (YELLOW) iii

EDUCATOR 

NOTES 

Introducing the Star strategy 

Are you ready to embark on an exciting adventure to help your learner spell and read 

confidently? The Star strategy decodable workbook series is here to guide you along the 

way. Developed using a comprehensive body of research known as The science of reading, 

these unique workbooks offer a systematic and cumulative approach to teaching learners the 

connection between letters and sounds. 

How are the workbooks structured? 

Your learner will engage in a variety of activities designed to help them: 

• recognise and manipulate sounds 

• break whole words into individual sounds when spelling 

• represent the sounds they hear as letters or groups of letters 

• blend letters or groups of letters together to read whole words. 

The workbooks are divided into four levels, each one building upon the skills learned in the 

previous level. As your learner progresses, they will develop a solid understanding of how letters 

(or groups of letters) can be used to represent sounds in words (and vice versa). 

How can you make the most of the series with your learner? 

1. Introduce the letters and sounds, ‘Star words’, and ‘Bright star words’ using the ‘Daily 

practice’ page. In this workbook series, words with common spellings that have not yet 

been introduced are called Star words. For example, ‘saw’ is a Star word in Set 4 as the ‘aw’ 

spelling has not yet been taught. Exception words with irregular spellings are called Bright 

star words. A star icon is used to indicate this irregular spelling. For example, ‘there’ is a 

Bright star word in Set 5 as the ‘ere’ spelling is making an irregular, /air/ sound. The star 

icon under the ‘ere’ indicates that this is not a regular sound for this spelling pattern. Take 

a few minutes each day to practise these words and sounds (and review those previously 

learnt) with your learner. You may also like to ask your learner to try using the Star words 

and Bright star words in a sentence. 

You will notice marks under the letters and words throughout this book. 

This visual support may help your learner remember these letters as an 

individual sound or a group of letters that make one sound. 

a • 

: one letter making one sound. 

ch : 


two or more letters making one sound. 



a_e: two letters that make one sound that is split by another letter. 

• • 

a : ‘Bright star sound’, or letter that is making an irregular sound. 

An arrow is used under the Star words and Bright star words as a visual 

support to help learners blend the sounds together in the correct order. 

You may wish to add a direction arrow under other words to provide a 

similar scaffold for reading as your learner progresses through the Skill 

builder activities. 

iv 

STAR STRATEGY DECODABLE WORKBOOK (YELLOW) 978-1-922843-97-5 R.I.C. Publications®/Prim-Ed Publishing

EDUCATOR 

NOTES 

2. Work through the four ‘Skill builders’ with your learner at their own pace. These can be 

completed over several days. There are also small prompts throughout the workbook to 

guide your instruction. 

3. When your learner can confidently decode single words, and sentences, it is time for them 

to move on to reading a decodable story. There are two decodable stories (or, ‘Star stories’) 

for your learner to read in each set. Additionally, two ‘Bonus star stories’ are also included to 

provide choice, variety, and additional skill development. It is not necessary for your learner 

to read all of these texts. Each story provides a new opportunity for your learner to decode 

words using the sets of letters and sounds they have learnt. It is recommended that your 

learner reads their text multiple times, focusing on accuracy, fluency, and expression. 

4. When your learner masters a Star story, they can colour the corresponding badge inside the 

back cover to celebrate their achievement. 

5. Your learner is ready to move onto the next set when they are able to confidently complete 

the Skill builder activities and read the selected Star story fluently. You can further assess 

their progress and readiness using the provided ‘Check in’ for each set. 

6. Three engaging ‘Authentic texts’ are also included at the end of each workbook. These are 

real-world texts that should be read to your learner. While they are not designed to directly 

teach reading skills, they play a vital role in enhancing your learner’s vocabulary and 

language comprehension when used with the provided questions. 

It’s time to get started! But before you do, here are some important things to remember: 

• Your most important role is to remain 

positive throughout your learner’s journey. 

Spelling and reading should never feel like 

a battle. Instead, keep it enjoyable and 

prioritise your learner’s self-esteem. If 

they hesitate on a word, provide them with 

the word or spelling rather than allowing 

them to struggle. Rest assured that with 

repeated reading and application of 

essential decoding and encoding skills, their 

confidence and ability to tackle challenging 

words will flourish. 


• Consistency is key. Once your learner has 

learnt the sounds, Star words, and Bright star 

words in a set, it is essential to review them 

regularly to consolidate their learning. 

• Using a multimodal approach will help 

strengthen your learner’s understanding by 

allowing them to make meaning through 

visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels. 

When spelling a word, for example, say the 

word and segment it into sounds (auditory), 

then count each sound with your finger 

as you say it and write each letter down 

(kinesthetic), ensuring you look at each 

sound as it is written (visual). 

• It is okay if your learner reads only part of 

a Star story or reads one repeatedly. Even if 

they can decode all the words, reinforcement 

is crucial for fluency and comprehension. 

To make fluency exercises entertaining, try 

using different voices, such as a robot voice, 

a mouse voice, or even an angry voice, to 

read the story. This playful approach helps 

develop their fluency skills. 



The Star strategy decodable workbook series is a fun and effective tool to help your 

learner become a confident reader and speller. So, follow the stars, and enjoy the journey of 

learning together! 

R.I.C. Publications®/Prim-Ed Publishing 978-1-922843-97-5 STAR STRATEGY DECODABLE WORKBOOK (YELLOW) v

EDUCATOR 

NOTES 

Pre-assessment 

Use this assessment to determine whether your learner is ready to use this workbook. If your 

learner is unable to complete most of these activities successfully, it is recommended that they 

continue to use the Pink workbook to build their skills. 

Skill 1: The learner can identify the following common consonant and short vowel sounds. 

Script: ‘Point to each letter and say the sound it makes.’ 

s a t p i n 

e g c k o u 

r h b f l j 

Skill 2: The learner can identify the following two-letter spellings. 

Script: ‘Point to each letter pattern and say the sound it makes.’ 

ck ff ll ss 

Skill 3: The learner can identify the medial short vowel sounds in CVC words. 

Script: ‘The word is (say the word). Say the sound you hear in the middle of (say the word).’ 

Practise: ‘The word is “pan”. The middle sound is /a/.’ 

dog cap bun peg nut 

Skill 4: The learner can read and write CVC words with short vowel sounds. 

Script: ‘The word is (say the word). Put a finger up as you say each sound, then write it down 

(allow the learner time to complete).’ 


Practise: ‘Sack. /s/ (write “s”) /a/ (write “a”) /k/ (write “ck”). Sack.’ 

tap fill bug lock jet 



vi 


Superstar steps 

Are you ready to become a language superstar? Follow 

these steps: 

DAILY 

PRACTISE 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

t 

Complete your ‘Daily practise’ 

every day. It will help you 

learn the code that you need 

to spell and read the words in 

each set. 

STAR 

p 

Read each ‘Star story’. 

Choose one story to read out 

loud to an adult each day. 

Work on the ‘Skill builders’. 

They will help you 

develop your spelling and 

reading skills. 

BONUS 

STORY STAR STORY 

2 

Rex at the vet 


CHECK 

IN 

When you can read a Star 

story smoothly, colour in the 

badge on the back cover. Try 

reading a ‘Bonus star story’. 

When you have completed 

the Skill builders and can 

read both Star stories, it is 

time to do the ‘Check in’ and 

show off all your hard work! 

Well done! Keep trying your best with each set and you will be 

on your way to becoming a language superstar! 

R.I.C. Publications®/Prim-Ed Publishing 978-1-922843-97-5 STAR STRATEGY DECODABLE WORKBOOK (YELLOW) vii 

1 

1 

VEST 

The bus stop mix up 



DAILY 

PRACTICE 1 

1. Tap and say each sound. 

v 

w 

x 

y 

2. Tap and blend to read the Star words and Bright star words. 

Star words 

then 

Bright star words 

that 

them 

Try to remember the Bright star sounds! 

said some 




2 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

Tap and say the sound. Trace and copy these letters. 

v V 

v v v 

van 

w W 

web 

x X 

fox 

y Y 

V V V 

w w w 

W W W 

x x x 


X X X 



y y y 

yak 

Y Y Y 

R.I.C. Publications®/Prim-Ed Publishing 978-1-922843-97-5 STAR STRATEGY DECODABLE WORKBOOK (YELLOW) 3

SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 

1. Say the word. Colour the first sound you hear. 

vet 

yell 

wet 

v w y x y w v x y 

2. Tap it 

(say each sound as you tap 

the circle) 

w e b 

y e s 

Map it 

(write one sound in each box) 


v a n 

3. Read the sentence. Does it match the picture? 

Colour if yes or if no. 

Blend it 

(join the sounds together to 

read the word) 

web 

yes 

van 



Will and Val got 

a big box of jam. 

 

4 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Say and trace the lower-case letter. Colour the matching 

upper-case letter. 

v w x y 

V W W Y X V Y X 

2. Read it Match it 

vet • • 

yam • • 

wax • • 


3. Change a sound to make a new word. 



wig 

w a g w g 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 

1. Say the word. Colour where you hear the spelling. 

‘v’ ‘w’ ‘x’ ‘y’ 

v a n w e t b o x y a k 

2. Read the sentence and draw a picture to match. 

Yon has a box of wigs in her van. 


3. Unjumble and write the sentence. 



wet Six yaks are at vet. the 

6 


CHECK 

IN 

Educator check 

Identifies common grapheme–phoneme 

correspondences: v w x y. 

Identifies words with unfamiliar or 

irregular sounds. 

Accurately decodes real and nonsense 

CVC words using learnt letter sounds. 

1. Say these sounds. 

v w x y 

2. Read these words. 

Accurately segments to spell CVC words 

with learnt letter sounds. 

Writes letters using correct formation: 

v w x y. 

then that them said some 

3. Sound out and blend to read these words. 

van web vet wax fox yum 

4. Sound out and blend to read these nonsense words. 

yab wix vup yox weg vad 

5. Write the word for each picture. 


van 

wax 



yes 


STAR 

STORY 

1 

Rex at the vet 

Max has a dog. The dog is Rex. 

Rex is not well. Max can tell Rex is ill. 

Rex just sits. Rex is sad. 

Max is at the vet with Rex. Lots of sick pets are at the vet. 

Max spots a cat with a cut on its leg. Max spots a fox in a 

box. He spots a sick pup and a pig. 

Can the vet fix Rex? Will a pill fix Rex? 

‘Yes! I can fix Rex,’ said the vet. 

The vet must test Rex. He pats Rex on the back. Then, he 

taps his legs. 

Rex spots the cat. Wag, wag, wag. 

Rex spots the fox. ‘Yap! Yap!’ 

Rex sits up. He spots the pup and the pig. 


Rex jumps and spins. 

‘A pill will not fix Rex,’ said the vet. ‘Rex is well. Just get 

Rex a pal.’ 



8 


1 

STAR 

STORY 




Check for understanding 

1. How many pets are at the vet? 

2. Why does the vet say that Rex just needs a pal? 


STAR 

STORY 

2 

A snack for fox 

It is dusk and a fox is on the hunt for a snack. He spots an 

egg in a nest. It is at the top of a cliff. 

The fox sets off to grab the egg. But then, he slips on 

a wet twig. Slip, flip, plop! The fox lands in the mud. 

That slick fox is in a fix! 

Next, the fox spots a man with a vat of milk. The man sets 

the milk on the step. 

In slinks the fox for a drink. But then, he trips on a rock. 

Trip, spin, splat! The fox lands in the vat. That wet fox is in 

a fix! 

The glum fox plods back to his den. 

Then, he spots a big box on a step. 

The fox slinks up to the box. He sits on top. The fox can 

smell a snack. Yum yum! But the box is soft and it splits. 

Sniff, rip, drop. The fox lands in the box. 


But that fox is not in a fix. He has lots of snacks! 

What luck! 



10 


2 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What did the man set down on the step? 

2. Why do you think the fox was glum? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

The bus stop mix up 

The bus stop is in a big mess! 

In the mix up, Tex hops on the bus to the vet. But he must 

get to his job at the mill. 

Max hops on the bus to the mill. But he must get to the vet 

with his dog, Rex. 

Then, Jin hops on the bus to the stand that sells yams. 

But she must get to the jet. 

Next, Niv hops on the bus to the jet. But she must get 

some yams. 

Then, Will hops on the bus to the man that can fix wigs. 

But he must get a vest, not a wig! 

Next, Val hops on the bus to the man that sells vests. 

But she must fix her wig. 

What a big mess to fix! But in the end, Max gets Rex to 

the vet. Tex gets to his job. Niv gets some yams. Jin gets 

to the jet. Val has the man fix her wig. And Will gets a vest. 

BUS times 

09:00 09:30 10:00 

10:30 10:15 11:00 

11:30 10:45 12:00© R.I.C. 

1 

Publications® 

YAMS 



MILL 

JET 

WIG 

VEST 

VET 


1. Where did Jin need to get to? 

2. What could have caused the bus stop to be in such a big mess? 

12 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

Tex went west 

Tex went west to fix the old mill. 

‘I will get to the West in a wink,’ said Tex. ‘I must fix that 

mill, and then I can rest.’ 

Tex is swift, but the sun is hot. So, Tex must stop. 

He sets his damp cap and vest on a twig. Then, Tex sits 

next to the mill and nods off. 

A fox is in its den at the top of the hill. 

She spots the cap and vest on a twig. 

She spots Tex as he sits next to the mill. 

The wind picks up the cap and vest. It drops them next to 

the den. 

The fox slinks up to the cap and vest. Sniff, sniff. 

The fox grabs the soft cap and vest. She drags them back 

to the den for her pups. 


A gust of wind gets Tex up from his rest. 



Tex has lost his cap and vest. 

What will Tex do next? 


1. Why did Tex go west? 

2. Why did the fox bring the cap and the vest back to her pups? 


DAILY 

PRACTICE 2 


z 

zz 

qu 


Star words 

be 

my 


when 

asks 

The ‘floss’ 

spelling pattern 

Double the final letter if 

the word has all three. 

• One syllable. 

• A short vowel sound. 

• /f/, /l/, or /s/ as the 

final sound. 

your 

water 


does have says 


‘q’ and ‘u’ stick 

together like glue! 



• The /kw/ sound is 

made by ‘qu’. 

• ‘q’ is never seen 

without ‘u’! 

14 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 


z Z 

z z z 

zip 

zz 

buzz 

qu Qu 

queen 

Z Z Z 

zz zz zz 

zz zz zz 


qu qu qu 



Qu Qu Qu 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 

1. Say the word. Colour the /z/ sound. 

Z Z 

Z 

z i p b u zz z a p f i zz 

2. Tap it 

(say each sound as you 

tap the circle) 

z a p 

q u i t 

Map it 



q u i ck 



Blend it 

(join the sounds together 

to read the word) 

zap 

quit 

quick 



Quin’s bot went zap and buzz. 

 

Zap! 

Buzz! 

16 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Say and trace the lower-case letter. Colour the matching 

upper-case letter. 

qu z 

Z Qu Qu Z 


zip • • 

fuzz • • 

quill • • 



quack 



q u i ck q u ck 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 


‘z’ ‘zz’ ‘qu’ 

z a p f i zz q u a ck 


Buzz and Quin zip up the tent. 





The bug and quick went zip buzz. 

zip 

buzz 

18 


CHECK 

IN 



correspondences: z zz qu. 






z zz qu 


be my when your asks water does have says 


quit fuzz jazz quack zap zag 


nezz quib zot zif mazz quock 



quack 

Z Z 

buzz 

Z 




z zz qu. 



zip 


STAR 

STORY 

1 

What is that? 

Buzz, buzz. Zip! Zap! 

What is that? It must be a bug in a tin can. 

Fizz, fizz. Drip! Drip! 

What is that? It must be your cup at the tap. 

Hum, tum, tum. Tap! Tap! 

What is that? It must be the drum in the jazz band. 

Yelp! Yelp! Huff! Puff! 

What is that? It must be a fox in a box. 

Yap! Yap! Sit! Drop! 

What is that? It must be Rex at the vet. 

Yum, yum. Sniff! Sniff! 


What is that? It must be Niv and Quin with hot ham buns. 

Zig, zag. Quick, quick! 



What is that? It must be a cat with a big rat. 

Click, clack. Bump! Bump! 

What is that? It must be Miss Web in her old van. 

20 


1 

STAR 

STORY 

Buzz 

Buzz 

Zip 

Zap 

Fizz 

Fizz 

Drip 

Drip 

Yap 

Yap 

Sit 

Drop 

Yelp 

Huff 

Puff 

Hum 

Tum 

Tum 

Yum 

Yum 

Tap 


Click 

Clack 

Bump 

Zag 

Zig 

Tap 



Bump 

Sniff 

Sniff 


1. What instrument is making the ‘hum, tum, tum’ sound? 

2. What might Miss Web be doing in her old van? 


STAR 

STORY 

2 

Zack and Quin spot a quoll 

Quin and Zack stomp up the mud track. They are on a 

hunt to spot a quoll. 

Quin is hot. He kicks a rock. 

‘Quit it!’ snaps Zack. ‘The quoll will run off!’ 

Quin has a quick sip of his water, and the pals trek on. 

Zack is cross. He slaps the bugs that land on him. 

Buzz, buzz, buzz. 

‘Quit it!’ snaps Quin. ‘The quoll will run off!’ He gets Zack a 

net for his hat and the pals trek on. 

Zack spots sticks and fluff in a log. ‘Quick, Quin! It is the 

quoll’s den!’ yells Zack. 

Quin spots the quoll at the rock pond. ‘Quick, Zack! It is 

the quoll!’ yells Quin. 


Quin and Zack sit on a quilt next to the quoll. 

The quoll snacks on bugs that it picks from the rocks. 



It sniffs at the pals and runs back to its den. 

Quin and Zack get up and trek back. 

They had lots of fun on the hunt for a quoll! 

22 


2 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What are Zack and Quin hunting for? 

2. What do you think the word ‘den’ means? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

The quiz 

‘Let us do a quiz!’ says Miss Zeb. ‘The quiz will be quick. 

Just do the best you can.’ 

Zack grins, ‘Yes! A quick quiz is the best!’ 

Miss Zeb asks, ‘What is on your bag?’ 

‘A zip,’ says Zack. 

Yes! A zip is at the top of a bag. 

Miss Zeb asks, ‘What is on your bed?’ 

‘A quilt,’ says Zack. 

Yes! A quilt is on a bed. 

Miss Zeb asks, ‘Can a big box fit in a van?’ 

Zack nods. 

1 

Yes! A big box can fit in a van. 


Miss Zeb asks, ‘What can help you fill a cup?’ 

‘A tap,’ says Zack. 



Yes! You can fill a cup at a tap. 

24 


1 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

Miss Zeb asks, ‘What can a duck do?’ 

‘Quack,’ says Zack. 

Yes! A duck can quack. 

Miss Zeb asks, ‘What can spin a web?’ 

Can you help Zack? 





1. How many questions were in Zack’s quiz? 

2. Do you think Zack likes doing quizzes? How can you tell? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

2 

Buzz and Quin quiz Dad 

Buzz and Quin are in bed. Dad tucks them in and flicks 

off the lamp. But Buzz and Quin do not want to nap yet. 

So, they quiz Dad. ‘Dad, can a squid zig and zag in a 

rock pond?’ 

Dad grins. Buzz and Quin will not vex him. ‘No, but we can 

zig and zag in the sand. We are quick when we zig and 

zag,’ he tells them. ‘Let us get back to bed.’ 

But Buzz and Quin do not want to nap yet. ‘Dad, do ducks 

have quills?’ 

Dad grins. Buzz and Quin will not vex him. ‘Yes, a duck has 

quills on its back. A duck quacks and flips its quills,’ he 

tells them. ‘Let us get back to bed.’ 

But Buzz and Quin do not want to nap yet. ‘Dad, can we 

get a quoll for a pet?’ 

Dad grins. Buzz and Quin will not vex him. ‘No, a quoll is 

not a pet. A quoll must not be kept in a pen,’ he tells them. 

‘Let us get back to bed.’ 


But Buzz and Quin do not want to nap yet. ‘Can a yak zip 

up a hill?’ 



But Dad does not grin. He has let Buzz and Quin vex him. 

‘No, a yak is not quick. But yaks do dwell in the hills,’ he 

tells them. ‘And you must get back in bed!’ 

26 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

Buzz and Quin run back to bed and jump in. ‘It is cold, 

Dad. Will you get me a quilt for my bed?’ 

Dad grins. ‘Yes, I will get a snug quilt,’ he tells them as 

Buzz and Quin nod off. 





1. What does Dad get for Buzz and Quin at the end of the story? 

2. What do you think the word ‘vex’ means? 


DAILY 

PRACTICE 3 


ch 

sh 

th 

ng 


Star words 

so 

by 



rich such give put 


These sounds 

are digraphs as 

they have: 

• two letters 

• one sound. 

‘th’ makes 

two sounds: 



• an unvoiced ‘th’, 

like in ‘thin’ 

• a voiced ‘th’, like 

in ‘that’. 

28 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 


ch 

ch ch ch 

as in chick 

sh 

as in shell 

th 

as in 

that moth 

ng 

ch ch ch 

sh sh sh 

sh sh sh 

th th th 


th th th 



ng ng ng 

as in king 

ng ng ng 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 

1. Say the word. Colour the first sound you hear. 

them 

thick 

chin 

ship 

ch sh th sh th ch th ch sh sh ch th 

2. Tap it 


the circle) 

th i s 

ch o p 

Map it 



sh a ck 



Blend it 



this 

chop 

shack 



A thin cat snacks on fish 

and chips at the swing. 

 

30 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Read the words with ‘ng’ and ‘nk’ at the end. 

Write the words that match the pictures. 

bang sung long ring 

pink honk tank bunk 

The ‘ng’ and ‘nk’ 

endings can be 

tricky! If you can 

hear a /k/ sound, 

use the ‘nk’ spelling. 


chat • • 


shop • • 



ring 

tank 

moth • • 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 


MAY 

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 

28 29 30 31 

‘ch’ ‘sh’ ‘th’ ‘ng’ 

ch i ck r a sh th e n w i ng 


The king gets thick chips from the shop. 





rings Chad on ship. Beth’s the bell 

Boy ringing the bell on 

32 


CHECK 

IN 



correspondences: ch sh th (voiced and 

unvoiced) ng. 






ch sh th ng 





ch sh th ng. 

so by rich such give put 


chip with that shack wish king 


shup thog zung chit nash chab 



chop 

shell 



fang 


STAR 

STORY 

1 

The ping-pong champs 

Ash and Ling are ping-pong champs. 

They swing and hit and dash to the ball. 

Bang, pop! Bang, pop! 

Ash swings his bat and hits the ball. 

Ling swings her bat and sends it back. 

Shep the dog runs up and back with the ball. 

The ball tips the net. Shep gets set to grab it. But Ling 

stops the ball so it will not drop. 

Ling is strong at ping-pong. She slams the ball with a big 

swing. But her smash shot hits Shep in the chest. 

It is such a shock for Shep. He yelps and yaps. 

Ash and Ling rush to Shep and pat him. But Shep still 

yelps and yaps. 


Ling thinks of a plan. ‘Shep is fond of fish. I will get a tin of 

fish from the shelf.’ 



Ling drops the fish in Shep’s dish, and he is quick to 

chomp it up. 

‘Get the ball!’ Ash tells Shep. 

But Shep will not get the ball. He sits back as Ash and Ling 

hit the ball. 

34 


1 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What type of food did Ling get for Shep? 

2. Why do you think Shep would not get the ball for Ash and Ling? 


STAR 

STORY 

Lunch 

2 

Dad and Josh get lunch for Pop. 

Lunch will be chops with shrimp and chips. 

At the shop, Dad gives the cash to the man. Josh gets 

a box. 

At Pop’s, Josh puts the box on the bench. He skips off to 

chat with Dad and Pop. 

Pop’s pets sit up and sniff. They can smell the lunch. Yum! 

The cat slips in. It can smell the shrimp. The cat swings 

from a cloth and hops on the bench. 

Chomp, munch, crunch. 

The cat licks its lips. Fresh shrimp for lunch. 

Next, the pet rat slips in. It can smell the chips. A quick 

dash to the top of the bench. 



The rat licks its lips. Hot chips for lunch. 

Then, the dog slips in. It can smell the chops. It jumps up 

and bumps a dish off the bench. 

Clash, bang, crash! 



Josh, Dad, and Pop rush in. They spot the dog with the 

chops. ‘STOP!’ 

36 


2 

STAR 

STORY 


The dog licks its lips. It got the chops for its lunch. 

Josh, Dad, and Pop are glum. 

Lunch will just be broth and buns for them! 





1. What did Josh and Dad bring Pop for lunch? 

2. Why do you think Josh, Dad, and Pop had to have broth and buns 

for lunch? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

1 

The sad king 

The king has a lot of cash. He is rich, but he is sad. He will 

not grin. 

So, in the spring, the king sets off on a long trip. On the 

trip, he spots a shack by a pond. ‘Gosh,’ said the king. 

‘This shack is a mess, but it is strong. I will fix it up!’ The 

king grins as he sets off to fix the old shack. 

The king gets hot and must rest. He sits on a rug by 

the pond. 

Chit chit! He spots a finch. It sits in its nest with its chicks 

and sings a song. 

Splish, splosh, splat! The king spots an imp stuck in the 

mud. He helps the imp stand up on a rock. 

The king grins as he treks back to the shack. But the imp 

stops him. 

‘I can grant you a wish,’ says the imp with a wink. 


‘I am rich, and I can get lots of things. But I want a pal. 

Can you help with that?’ 

‘I can!’ says the imp. ‘I will be your pal.’ 



The king grins. He has an old shack and a pal. This is bliss 

for the king. 

38 


1 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 





1. Where was the king’s shack? 

2. How does the king’s mood change throughout the story? What do you 

think caused this change? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

2 

Smash! Crash! Bang! 

Beth is off to see her pal, Vish. They will get lunch at the 

fish and chip shop. 

Beth sings a song as she skips to the bus stop. 

Hiss! Swish! ‘This gust of chill wind is cold,’ thinks Beth. 

She sits on the bench at the bus shed. She swings her legs 

and checks the clock. ‘I will not sit for long,’ thinks Beth. 

The bus stops at the front of the shed. 

‘I wish to get off at the fish and chip shop,’ Beth tells the 

man on the bus. 

‘Then ring the bell at your stop,’ says the man. 

‘Thanks!’ says Beth with a big grin. 

Beth gets on and sits at the back. But she is in for a shock. 

Smash! Crash! Bang! 


A truck in a rush hits the back of the bus. 

The man has a quick check. ‘Not a dent on the bus.’ 

The bus is off in a flash. 



40 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

Vish spots Beth at her stop. They skip to the shop 

and chat. 

‘Yum!’ grin Beth and Vish. ‘Fresh fish and hot chips are the 

best lunch!’ 

BUS 





1. Why did Beth catch the bus? 

2. Why do you think Beth was skipping and singing on her way to the 

bus stop? 


DAILY 

PRACTICE 4 


ai ee igh oa y 


Star words 

saw 


cannot 


push pull one was were 


‘igh’ is a trigraph 

as it has: 

• three letters 

• one sound. 

The ‘y’ spelling has 

three sounds: 



• one sound is a 

consonant, /y/ 

• two sounds are vowels, 

/igh/ and /ee/. 

42 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 


ai 

ai ai ai 

ee 

ee ee ee 

rain 

igh 

night 

y Y 

ai 

ai 

igh igh 

igh 

wheel 

oa 


igh 

y y y 

boat 

ee 

ee 

oa oa oa 

oa 

oa 



yak 

Y Y Y 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 

1. Say the word. Colour the sound you hear in the middle. 

sweep 

light 

train 

coat 

oa ee ai igh oa ai ee igh oa ai oa ee 

2. Tap it 


the circle) 

ch ee 

k 

n ai l 

Map it 



t 

igh t 



Blend it 



cheek 

nail 

tight 



The snail and the goat 

saw a light in the sky. 

 

44 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Read the words with a ‘y’ spelling. 

Circle ‘C’ if it is making a consonant 

sound. Circle ‘V’ if it is making a vowel sound. 

yell fly yuck cry 

C V C V C V C V 


shy • • 

roast • • 

night • • 



Do you notice a pattern? ‘y’ 

makes at consonant sound 

at the start of words. 



feet 

f igh t f t 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 


‘ai’ ‘ee’ ‘igh’ ‘oa’ 

t ai l s ee d r igh t t oa d 


A sheep sails its boat at night. 





The hops toad green in the rain. 

46 


CHECK 

IN 



correspondences: ai ee igh oa y. 








saw cannot push pull one was were 


rain deep boat feet night sky 


dight taid loak maip gry leem 



seed 

nail 


with learnt letter sounds, including 

common long vowel spellings. 


ai ee igh oa y. 

night 




STAR 

STORY 

1 

Beek’s fleet 

Bram Beek has a lot of boats. Bram ships grain in his fleet 

to shops on the coast. 

Bram stands on the dock. He can see his men push and 

pull the load onto his best boat. His men load bags of 

grain. His men load bags of seed. His men load bags of 

oats. ‘Quick, Boss!’ cry the men. ‘It might rain, so we must 

set off!’ 

‘My boats are the best,’ Bram tells his men. ‘We can ship 

grain if it is wet or dry.’ 

Bram runs from the dock and jumps on the boat. He 

steers the boat from the dock. The sky is black, and the 

chill wind is strong. Rain and hail hit the deck. The main 

sail rips and the keel fails. Bram’s men moan and groan. 

They do not want to crash! 

But Bram has faith in his best boat. He sails it with 

skill next to the coast and lands the boat at the dock. 

Bram and his men sigh and cheer. 


The boat and its load float at the dock. Bram’s men set 

off to fix the boat. His men mend the main sail. His men 

fix the keel. His men push and pull the load off the boat. 



Then, Bram and his men sit and rest. 

48 


1 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What three things did the men load onto Bram’s boat? 

2. Why do you think Bram and his men sigh and cheer when Bram lands the 

boat at the dock? 


STAR 

STORY 

I spy 

2 

I sit on the branch of a big beech tree. I am up so high. 

The sky is black. Light rain falls on my skin. 

The old tree seems to sigh in the soft wind. 

I feel free. 

It is night, but I can still see lots of things. 

I peek to the left. 

I spy six ducks. They nap in a nest by the pond. 

I spy one deer. It feeds on oats left in a big dish. 

I spy bugs that creep and buzz next to a long snail trail. 

I spy three chicks in a nest. They cheep and tweet. 

I peek to the right. 

I spy a black bat in flight. It hunts for a feed. A green toad 

croaks and digs in the mud. The bat will not see the toad 

in the mud. 


I spy a bright light. It is a train with a load of steel. Chug, 

chug, chug. It speeds on the track. 



I sit up in bed and flick on the light. I was not in the beech 

tree. I had seen this in my sleep. 

50 


2 

STAR 

STORY 





1. Why did the toad hide in the mud? 

2. How do you think the child saw these things in their sleep? What sort of 

things do you see in your sleep? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

1 

The train trip 

I am Joan. My dad loads mail onto the train. Train trips 

are free for us. We can thank Dad for that! 

At the end of this week, we will get the train to the coast. 

Let me tell you what we will do. 

Mum and I will pack the bags. We will bring hats to keep 

the sun off us. 

Dad and Josh will get the rods and reels. They will bring a 

tent that we can sleep in for three nights. 

The train trip to the coast will be lots of fun. Josh and I will 

try to spot the green truck. The truck is at the last stop. 

Then, we will get off the train and trek to the camp spot. 

Dad will set up the tent. He will moan and groan a lot! 

Josh and I will snack on trail mix. Mum will sweep the 

sand and set up the beds. 

Next, we will meet Dad at the boat shed. He will get a 

boat and the fish bait. Dad will sail the boat to the deep 

so we can fish. 


I think it is fun to fish. I got a big fish when we went to 

the coast last. ‘Dad, quick!’ I had said. ‘Help me reel in this 

fish.’ In a flash, the fish was in the boat. But the boat hit a 

reef. CRASH! We had to bail so it did not sink. 



52 


1 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

We swam back to the shed, but we did not need to wait 

long for the boat to float back. And what luck! My fish was 

still in the boat. 

I cannot wait to go to the coast at the end of this week! 





1. Why are train trips free for Joan and her family? 

2. How do you think Joan felt when she saw that her fish was still in 

the boat? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

2 

Cheer up, Queen 

The Queen sighs a lot at night. She is not ill, but her maid 

cannot cheer her up. 

The maid greets the Queen with a grin. The Queen 

still sighs. 

The maid brings toast and eggs for the Queen. But this 

fails to cheer her up. She just sighs and sighs. 

The maid thinks of a plan to cheer up the Queen. ‘Get her 

cloak and ring for a coach. We are on a quest to cheer up 

the Queen,’ says the maid. 

The coach speeds up the track in the rain. 

The rain stops as the coach man gets to the creek. So, the 

Queen and her maid get off the coach. 

As they sit by the creek, they see a goat and his six kids. 

The kids splash and splosh and jump high. The Queen 

grins with glee at the sight. 


One quail and her chicks float in the creek. The Queen 

grins with glee at the sight. 

The Queen seems bright as the three of them speed back. 

‘Thank you,’ says the Queen to the maid and the coach 

man. ‘The goats, the kids, the quail and her chicks were 

lots of fun!’ 



54 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 





1. How many kids did the goat have? 

2. Why do you think the Queen would not cheer up? What would you do to 

help her cheer up? 


DAILY 

PRACTICE 5 


ar or ur 

er 


Star words 

go our new too 



th ere th eir 




56 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 


ar 

ar ar ar 

star 

or 

corn 

ur 

burn 

er 

ar ar ar 

or or or 

or or or 

ur ur ur 


ur ur ur 



er er er 

fern 

er er er 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 


fork 

herbs 

hurt 

bark 

ar er or or ur ar er ar or ur ar or 

2. Tap it 


the circle) 

h or n 

sh ar 

p 

Map it 



c ur l 



It is her turn to pick the 

corn at the farm. 

Blend it 



horn 

sharp 

curl 



58 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Read the words with ‘er’ and ‘ur’ spellings. 

Write the words that match the pictures. 

fur surf turn church 

her fern herb perch 

The ‘er’ and ‘ur’ 

spellings make 

the same sound in 

some words. 


harp • • 


short • • 

church 



fern 

burp • • 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 


‘ar’ ‘or’ ‘ur’ ‘er’ 

sh ar k h or n b ur n h er b 


Herb wants to surf in the port, but he can see a shark. 





Morg leg her hurt the in dark. 

60 


CHECK 

IN 



correspondences: ar or ur er. 






ar or ur er 


go our new too there their 


corn herb burn surf farm her 


furt barp lorg pert vorn yark 



curl 

harp 


with learnt letter sounds, including 

r-controlled vowels. 


ar or ur er. 



horn 


STAR 

STORY 

1 

What is my job? 

I am Garth. I star in films. I act in lots of parts. I dwell on 

a big ranch. 


I am Lee. I get grain from the farm for my buns. I dwell in 

a flat at the top of my shop. 


I am Mark. I dig rich soil for my ferns and herbs. I dwell in 

my shed. 


I am Burt. I plant grain and corn to sell to the mill. I dwell 

on my farm. 


I am Bree. If you are hurt or sick, I will help you. I dwell in 

a flat by the church. 



I am Zain. I help cats and dogs if they get ill. I dwell in the 

barn on Burt’s farm. 




62 


1 

STAR 

STORY 





1. Where does Bree live? 

2. What do you think Lee’s job is? 


STAR 

STORY 

2 

Lord Vern meets Morg 

Lord Vern thinks he is smart. 

He dons a smart coat and a silk scarf for his throat. He 

gets his tall hat from the hat stand. Then, he trots forth on 

his steed to York. 

In York, he sees Morg. 

Morg is not rich. She has no silk scarf or hat. She has a 

torn coat with stars on it. Parts of her black dress are torn 

and worn, too. On her feet are old socks, that turn up at 

the end. 

Morg greets Lord Vern, but he turns his back. 

Morg feels hurt. She tells Lord Vern, ‘You are not smart. I 

can turn you into a cob of corn or a snail. Or a stork, or 

a skunk.’ 

Lord Vern turns and looks at Morg. He did not wish to be 

a cob of corn or a snail. He did not wish to be a stork or 

a skunk. ‘I see you are hurt. It is not right for me to be a 

grump. Let us go to the High Street for lunch.’ 




64 


2 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What did Morg say she could turn Lord Vern into? 

2. Why do you think Lord Vern was rude to Morg? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

1 

Fern and Burt’s farm 

Fern has a farm with Burt. She has a big herd of goats 

and Burt has a big flock of sheep. 

Jobs on the farm are hard. 

Fern and Burt must feed their hens and the chicks. 

Fern feeds grain to the hens, then picks up the eggs. 

Burt cuts the corn and Fern tends to her bed of herbs. 

Then, their pigs and their hog need to be fed. 

Fern feeds her herd by the big beech tree. When the sun is 

up, Fern milks them in the barn. 

Then, Burt helps Fern churn the milk as his sheep munch 

on turf by the barn. 

As Fern milks, a fox creeps up to the barn. Munch, munch, 

munch. The sheep do not see the fox. 


The fox has sharp teeth. He wants sheep for lunch. 

Garth, the farm dog, sees the fox and barks at it. He barks 

and barks. 



Fern and Burt turn and run from the barn. The fox sniffs. 

He sees Fern and Burt. 

66 


1 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

He turns and darts off. He runs past the sheep. He runs 

past the beech tree. He runs up the hill and next to the 

creek. The fox runs back to his den in the rocks. 

The sheep and goats go back to munch the turf. Fern and 

Burt sigh. They can sit and rest. 





1. What are some of the animals on Fern and Burt’s farm? 

2. What does ‘churn’ mean? Why do you think Fern and Burt were churning 

the milk? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

2 

The barn shop 

To my pal Sam, 

There will be a shop in the barn by the church hall. It will 

be at the end of the week. It will start at ten. 

There will be lots of things you need. 

The barn is not far from our farm. 

I am keen to go as I need a new scarf and a purse, too. 

My pal, Fern, is keen to go. She wants new socks 

and tights. 

My dad wants to go. He needs a fork and three pots for 

his ferns. 

Mum is not keen to go. But she needs pins and yarn to 

darn her worn coat. 

Oz wants carp from the fish farm for his pond. 


Bart will bring pork and lard from his pig farm to sell. 

Gert Burns will sell fresh milk and curds. 



Garth Burns has beef and corn to sell. 

Miss Marsh will bring a big box of herbs. 

68 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

There will be art, cards, seeds, and ferns. As well as a hot 

dog stand with drinks to sell. 

There will be all sorts of things. 

If you want to go, I can meet you at the church at ten. 

Cheers, 

Joan 





1. What time does the shop start? 

2. Would you like to visit the shop at the barn? What would you buy 

from there? 


DAILY 

PRACTICE 6 


oo 

ow 

oi 

2. Tap and blend to read the Star word and Bright star words. 

Star word 

me 



much would could sh ould 




The ‘oo’ spelling has two sounds: 

• one sound is short, like in book 

• one sound is long, like in moon. 

70 


1 

SKILL 

BUILDER 


oo 

oo oo oo 

book 

oo 

moon 

ow 

town 

oi 

oo oo oo 

oo oo oo 

oo oo oo 

ow ow ow 


ow ow ow 



oi oi oi 

coin 

oi oi oi 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

2 


boot 

cook 

howl 

soil 

oo ow oi ow oo oi oi oo ow oi ow oo 

2. Tap it 


the circle) 

f oi l 

g 

ow n 

Map it 



t 

oo th 

Blend it 



foil 

gown 

tooth 





Beth has a long gown, a book, 

and a coin from her room. 

72 


3 

SKILL 

BUILDER 

1. Read the words. Use a green pencil to colour in the words 

with the short /oo/ sound (like in ‘book’). Use a blue pencil to 

colour in the words with the long /oo/ sound (like in ‘moon’). 

look cook hoop root 

food hook soon book 


boil • • 

owl • • 

hoop • • 



If ‘oo’ is 

followed by a 

‘k’, it usually 

makes the short 

/oo/ sound. 



foil 

f ow l f l 


SKILL 

BUILDER 

4 


‘oo’ ‘oo’ ‘oi’ ‘ow’ 

z oo b oo k oi l c ow 


The cow sits in the soil as it looks at the moon. 





did How this coin get my on book? 

74 


CHECK 

IN 



correspondences: oo (short and long) 

ow oi. 






oo ow oi 


Accurately segments to spell CVC 

words with learnt letter sounds, 

including diphthongs. 


oo ow oi. 

me much would should could 


cook soon howl coin foil town 


powl goot dook boid dow voin 



soil 

moon 

down 




STAR 

STORY 

1 

Dan Boon and his troop 

It is a dull night and the moon rests at the back of a 

steep hill. 

Dan Boon and his troop are on a march. They march into 

the dark woods. The troop plans to set up camp next to 

a brook. 

The light from the moon is dull, but Dan Boon has a bright 

oil lamp and a torch. 

The troop needs food. The cook has a pan and a pot of oil. 

He will cook loin chops and eggs. But he needs a stack of 

good wood. 

Dan Boon left his oil lamp with the troop. He took his torch 

and went in the woods to look for wood. 

He had a stack of wood when his torch went dim. In the 

gloom, Dan Boon fell and lost his boot. He hurt his hip 

joint and cut his foot. 

He shook the torch. The torch was not as dim. He shook it 

hard and the light was bright. 


Dan Boon had to limp back to the camp with his boot and 

the wood. 



Soon, the cook had lit the wood. The oil was hot and the 

chops were in the pan. 

The troop and Dan Boon sat down to feed on chops 

and eggs. 

76 


1 

STAR 

STORY 





1. What did Dan Boon and his troop eat? 

2. Why does Dan Boon need a stack of good wood? 


STAR 

STORY 

2 

The night band 

I turn off the light in my room. 

It is still bright and hard to sleep. 

The clock in the den rings. Bong, bong. 

A tree branch swings in the wind. It hit so hard it shook 

the shelf. My books crash off the shelf. Thud, thud. 

It is hard to sleep with the din in our roof. An owl roosts in 

the roof. It hoots, ‘Hoo, hoo.’ 

There is a rat, too. It roams on the wood joists in the roof. 

Its nails go click, clack. 

A black cat prowls the street at night. The moon is high 

and the cat sees our brood of chicks. 

My pooch sees the cat. He barks and growls at her. 

The cat meows and runs onto the roof. Ruff, ruff, screech, 

tick, tack. 


Then, a band starts up. A drum bangs. Boom, boom, 

clang, clang. A French horn joins in. Boom, clang, 

toot, toot. 



The din is too much. I cannot sleep. 

So, I get up and join the band. I sing with them. 

78 


2 

STAR 

STORY 

Bong 

Bong 

Click 

Clack 

Thud 

Thud 




Hoo 

Hoo 


1. What were all of the things that were causing noise in the night? 

2. Why do you think that the room was still bright, even when the light was 

turned off? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

1 

Hot or cold? 

The west wind is cool. 

Soon, the blooms that are on the tree now will droop. 

Then, it will be too cold for Mum, Dad, Brook, Thor, and me 

to swim in the pool. 

My mother will get quilts from the shelf. She will set them 

on our beds. 

Brook will get down her wool scarf and coat. 

The three of us will go to the book shop. 

Dad and Thor will stack wood in the yard. 

Brook thinks it is best when it is hot. 

She dips in the pool. Then, she sits with her book by a tree. 

Thor and I think it is best when it is cool. 

We trek in the woods and scoop up nuts from the oak tree. 

We float them down the brook in the woods. 


At the end of the week, we join the sports crowds. What a 

din it is when we yell and cheer. 



As soon as the match ends, we go to the fish and chip 

shop for lunch. 

80 


1 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

We think cold is best, but if it rains, Brook, Thor, 

and I frown. 

We don our hoods and coats, and get the bus into town. 

As soon as we are in town, we have a good look in the 

book shop. 

Mum, Dad, Thor, Brook, and I think that the cold is best. 





1. Where did the family go after the match ended? 

2. Do you think hot or cold is best? What are some reasons for your opinion? 


BONUS 

STAR STORY 

2 

The long list 

It was the end of the week and Zain was in a glum mood. 

He stood at the bench to see his Dad cook lunch. ‘Can I 

help, Dad?’ 

‘Would you spoon that oil into a pan for me? Thank you.’ 

‘What can I do now, Dad?’ 

‘You could grab a bag of pot mix and a fork. Look in the 

shed. There are herbs still in foil pots. You could plant them 

in the soil for me.’ 

‘What should I do now?’ 

‘Well, you should brush your pooch. She has been in the 

moist mud down at the brook,’ said Dad. ‘There is a gap 

in the hen coop, too. It would be good if you could fix 

it. A fox on the prowl at night might harm the hens and 

the chicks. Then, you should feed them. There is a pail of 

chook food in the shed.’ 


‘What could I do now?’ 

‘You could fill your pop-pop boat with oil, and float it 

down the brook. Or, should you sort your stamps and your 

coin set?’ 



82 


2 

BONUS 

STAR STORY 

‘I will feed the chooks and fix the coop now,’ said Zain. 

‘Then, I will dig a bed for the plants and brush the pooch. 

Next, I will fill my pop-pop boat with oil and go to the 

brook. I can sort my stamps and coins at night.’ 

‘With lots to do, you need to start soon.’ 





1. Why does Zain’s pooch need a brush? 

2. Why do you think Zain was in a glum mood? 


Congratulations superstar! 

You have now completed the Yellow workbook. But the fun 

does not stop there! Try some of these fun bonus activities. 

Choose one of the stories to illustrate. 

Put on a play by asking some people to help you act out a 

story as you read it. 

Use different colours to find and circle the focus letters 

and letter patterns in a story. 

Imagine a different ending to one of the stories you have 

read. Retell the story and add your own twist. 

Think of a list of questions for one of the stories. Challenge 

someone to answer them. 

Choose one character from a story and create a drawing 

of what you think they look like. 

Record the main events of a story on sticky notes. 

Mix them up, then challenge yourself to arrange them in 

the correct order. 

Seek and find 


1. How many flies can you see on page 23? 

2. How many crabs can you see on page 49? 

3. How many starfish can you see on page 53? 



4. What animal is sitting on the girl’s shoulder on page 65? 

5. How many hams can you see on page 69? 

On the next pages you will find your 

certificate of completion, and three fun 

texts for an adult to read to you. 

84 


Congratulations 

This certificate is presented to: 

for completing the Yellow Star strategy 

decodable workbook. You have mastered 24 

sounds, read 24 stories, and have expanded 

your vocabulary by by reading over 4500 

words. Keep up the stellar work! 




Signed: 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

The Authentic texts on the next pages have been designed for you to read to your learner. They 

include different texts that your learner may come across in the real world and will read for 

a purpose. 

Listening to reading is an important part of the ‘Star strategy’. It provides many benefits to 

beginner readers, such as: 

• helping them build a strong vocabulary by hearing and learning new words that they might 

not come across in everyday conversations 

• allowing them to focus on understanding the story without worrying about reading the 

words themselves 

• encouraging them to think about the text, which leads to rich conversations and questions 

• observing how to read fluently with the right tone and expression 

• creating a special bond between the educator and the learner and helping to develop a love 

of reading. 

When reading to your learner, find a comfortable space and make it an enjoyable activity. Allow 

them to discuss the book and ask questions as you read. If they feel confident, encourage them 

to identify any words in the text that they can read independently. 

Although it is not compulsory, the following questions may be used to support comprehension 

before, during, and after reading the Authentic texts together. . 

Make your own paper parachute! 

A procedural text explaining how to make a paper parachute. 

Before reading During reading After reading 

• Ask your learner if they 

have ever seen a parachute 

before. Do they know what 

it is used for? 

• Does your learner know 

what type of text this is? 

Have they seen a similar 

text before? What is 

its purpose? 

• Talk about each of the 

headings with your learner. 

Do they understand 

what ‘materials’ and 

‘method’ mean? 

• Look at the first word in 

each step of the method. 

Explain that these are 

called ‘bossy verbs’ because 

they tell the reader to 

do something. Can they 

find other bossy verbs in 

the text? 


• Help your learner use what 

they have read to construct 

their own paper parachute. 

• Ask your learner if they can 

identify any other things 

that float gently in the air 

like a parachute. 



86 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

Little giants 

A magazine article about the biggest babies on planet Earth. 


• Read the title together 

and ask your learner what 

they think they will be 

reading about. 

• Ask your learner to identify 

some big animals that they 

know. Do they think their 

babies will also be large? 

You crack me up! 

A collection of jokes from party crackers. 

Pause at each section and 

ask questions about what you 

are reading. For example: 

• How much weight does 

a baby blue whale gain 

each day? 

• How tall is a baby giraffe 

when it is born? 

• Why do you think the 

hippopotamus is the most 

dangerous animal on land? 

• Ask your learner to share 

some surprising facts they 

learnt about baby animals. 

• Can your learner identify 

any other large animals that 

might have big babies? How 

could they find out more 

about these animals? 

• Which of the animals 

did your learner find 

most interesting? 


• Ask your learner if they • Check in with your learner to • Ask your learner to share 

know any jokes of their own. see if they understand each which of the jokes they 

joke as it is read. You may found the funniest. 

• Tell your learner some jokes 

need to discuss some of the 

that you may be aware of. 

word play that is used to 

Why do we tell jokes? 

make the joke humorous. 





AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

Make your own paper parachute! 

Today, we are going to learn how to make a fantastic paper parachute 

that will float softly in the air, just like a hot air balloon. It is going to be 

lots of fun! 

Materials 

• A piece of tissue paper 

• Scissors 

• Four pieces of string or yarn 

• A small object (like a paperclip or a small toy) 

• A hole punch 

• Sticky tape 




88 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

Method 


1. Cut your tissue paper into a square shape. You can make 

this any size you like! 

2. Use the hole punch to make a little hole in each corner of 

your square paper. 



3. Tie one piece of string to each corner of your square paper. 

Be careful not to tear it. 

4. Tie the other ends of the string to your paperclip or toy. 

5. Now, it is time to test your parachute. Hold it up high and 

let it drop to see how it floats down. 

When dropping your parachute, make sure that it is in a safe 

environment and always ask an adult for help if you need it. 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

Little 

giants 

Have you ever 

wondered just how 

big a baby animal 

can be? 

Get ready to discover some incredible and 

adorable facts about the largest baby 

animals on our planet. 

The mighty blue whale 


Did you know that a blue whale calf is the 

biggest baby animal in the world? A baby 

blue whale is born already weighing as 

much as a small elephant and gains about 

90 kilograms each day for its first year! 



The giraffe’s big little ones 

Giraffes tower over the savanna, so it 

may come as no surprise that their babies 

are also giants. A newborn giraffe stands 

at about 1.8 metres tall! That is as tall as 

some grown-ups! It takes them just a few 

hours to stand and walk after birth. 

90 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

Hefty hippopotamus babies 

Hippopotamus babies are no 

lightweights either! Hippopotamus 

calves are born weighing about 45 

kilograms, which is quite hefty for 

a newborn! Even though they might 

look chubby and cute, they grow up 

to be some of the most dangerous 

animals on land. 

Super-sized 

elephant offspring 

Baby elephants are born 

weighing around 90 kilograms. 

This might sound heavy, but 

for an elephant, that is just the 

beginning! They grow quickly 

and can gain up to one kilogram 

a day (that is about the weight 

of a bag of sugar). 

Not-so-giant panda cubs 

Despite the impressive size of 

its parents, a baby panda is 

very small. In fact, giant panda 

cubs are the smallest babies on 

land when compared with their 

mother’s size. At birth, a baby 

panda is tiny, often weighing 

as much as an apple. It will 

eventually grow to be as big as 

its parents though, weighing over 

100 kilograms! 




We hope you have enjoyed learning about these enormous and lovable 

baby animals. From the giant blue whale to the towering giraffe, every big 

baby has its own incredible story! 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

You crack me up! 

Why did the cow go to outer space? 

Because it wanted to see the moo-n! 

What did the fish say to the dog? 

Nothing! Fish can’t talk! 

What do you call a bear with 

no teeth? 

A gummy bear! 

What is a cat’s favourite dessert? 


Mice cream! 



92 


AUTHENTIC 

TEXT 

What do you call a sleeping bull? 

A bulldozer! 

What sort of shoes do ninjas wear? 

Sneakers! 

Why was the math book feeling sad? 

Because it had too many problems! 

Why was the starfish mad at the crab? 


Because he was being shellfish! 




BRIDGING 

ACTIVITY 

Continue your reading journey with the Green Star strategy 

decodable workbook. Let’s look at what you will learn. 

Words with more than one syllable (or beat): 

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 

Say the words. Colour how many syllables are in each. 

Different ways to make the same sound: 


jet hedge chick witch 

Small words we can add to the beginning (called ‘prefixes’) 

or end (called ‘suffixes’) of words to change their meaning: 



happy un+happy pick pick+ed 

94 


Fluency checklist 

‘STARS’ is a special word that can help you remember five 

ways to become a fluent reader. 

Spot the punctuation. Take a short 

breath when you see a comma (,) 

and pause when you see a full stop 

(.) Remember to change the sound of 

your voice when you see a question 

mark (?) or exclamation mark (!) 

Take your time. Don’t read too 

fast or too slow. Just read at a 

comfortable pace. 

Accuracy is important. Try to read 

each word correctly and don’t 

guess if you’re not sure. Use the 

decoding strategies on page 96. 


Read with feeling. Remember, don’t 

talk like a robot! Use your talking 

voice and make the story exciting 

with lots of expression! 



Scoop the words and phrases. Try 

scooping the words and phrases 

together like a little song to make 

your reading sound smoother. 


Decoding strategies 

If you get stuck, try following these tips to help you decode 

tricky words. 

Point to the word you do not know. 

pop 

corn 

Look at the whole word from left to right. Can 

you see any letter patterns you know? 

For longer words, use the vowel sounds to help 

you chunk the word into syllables. 

Point to each letter or letter pattern, and slowly 

blend the sounds together as you read them 

out loud. 


Listen to the word. Does it make sense? Try 

reading the whole sentence again. 



If you are still stuck, ask an adult for help. 

96 


Removeable resources 

Cut out these letters to practise building words with the 

spellings learnt in this workbook. 

v w x y 

z zz qu 

ch sh th ng 


ar or ur er 


oo oo ow oi 



Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 

BRIGHT! 

Bookmark 

YOUR 

FUTURE 

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