Rosa's Step Stool Letter: Reading Tricky Words

Read a friendly letter full of irregularly spelled words.

Read the letter

Read Rosa's letter. Then answer the questions.

A Letter to Grandpa Luis

1Dear Grandpa Luis, Guess what I did after school on Wednesday? Mr. Ortiz, our neighbor, helped me build a step stool for my little sister, Pia. Now she can reach the bathroom sink by herself. Mr. Ortiz has built lots of things, like a bench and a bookshelf, so he knew just what to do.

2First, he showed me how to measure each board with a tape measure. We needed pieces for the top, the two sides and the front. He cut the boards with a saw while I wore safety glasses to protect my eyes.

3Next, I sanded the edges until they felt smooth. Then we put the pieces together with glue and screws. Mr. Ortiz showed me how to turn the screwdriver slowly so the screws went in straight. The work took almost an hour, but I was sure we could finish.

4Last, I painted the stool yellow and added Pia's name on the front in green letters. Mr. Ortiz said it looked beautiful. We were busy all afternoon, and my hands were covered in paint.

5Pia loves her new stool. She can move it anywhere she needs it. Mom says you can see it when you visit this summer. I can't wait to show you! Love, Rosa

Read paragraph 1. Write the tricky word that names a day of the week.

Word:

Read paragraph 3 again. Underline the sentence that tells how long the work took.

Read paragraph 4. Write the word that means the opposite of back.

Word:

In paragraph 5, Pia can move her stool. Which word rhymes with move?

A. gloveB. stoveC. grooveD. drove

Rosa writes, "Mom says you can see it." In which word do the letters ay sound like the e in bed?

A. stayB. saysC. todayD. play

Tricky word work

Say each word in your head before you answer.

Tip: Tricky words are not spelled the way they sound. Some have letters you do not hear. Others have letters that make a surprising sound. Practice them until you know them by sight.

Match each tricky word from the letter to its meaning.

Say each tricky word. Sort the words by how many syllables you hear.

Circle every word in which the letters ie or ei sound like the e in me.

Each word has one letter that you do not hear when you say it. Write that letter.

listen:
island:
answer:
hour:

10.

Write a sentence about something you helped make. Use two tricky words from the letter, such as build, measure, busy or beautiful.