Free printable · Sound: o_e

o_e Split Digraph Decodable Story – Rose and the Bone (Free Printable)

A short decodable story that practises the o_e sound, plus a matching handwriting sheet. Every word can be sounded out by a child who has learned longer words, apart from a few common tricky words.

Digby the wombat reading a book
Download the free PDF (2 pages, A4)Prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use.
Page 1: Rose and the Bone, a decodable story with the o_e words underlined, a read-it-three-times star chart and boxes to write o_e words
Page 1: the story and activities
Page 2: VIC / WA / NT Beginners tracing sheet with the words bone, home, nose, hole, stone, mole
Page 2: tracing sheet

For parents

  • Read the story together three times this week. Your child colours a star each time.
  • Point to each word as they read. Magic e: the e at the end is silent but makes the o say its name, so hop becomes hope.
  • Hunt for the o_e words and write six of them in the boxes.
  • Finish with the tracing sheet: trace the grey words, then write each one on its own.

For teachers

  • Fits a systematic synthetic phonics sequence at Set 4 · Longer words, after teaching the o_e split digraph (magic e). Suits Year 1 to Year 2.
  • Tracing sheet uses the VIC / WA / NT Beginners handwriting style.
  • 68 words, 7 different o_e words, short sentences.
  • Use for small-group reading, repeated reading for fluency, or homework.
  • Photocopy freely for your class.

o_e words in this story

  • bone
  • stone
  • home
  • gone
  • nose
  • hole
  • mole

Tricky words used

  • has
  • a
  • called
  • he
  • the
  • to
  • when
  • is
  • his

Common words that can't be fully sounded out yet. Practise them by sight.

More Longer words printables

Digby the wombat cheering

Practise o_e with Digby

In Wombat Words, your child reads stories like this one aloud and Digby follows along, then they trace the tricky words in their school's handwriting style. You get a report showing which sounds they've mastered.