The Ugly Duckling
(The Decodables: Fables and Folktales)

A mother duck lays four eggs. When they hatch, she is surprised to find one is not like the others. In this retelling of The Ugly Duckling, readers will explore the effects of kindness and unkindness while they learn about prefixes and suffixes.

This decodable series offers illustrated retellings of nine classic fables and folktales. Some will be very familiar; others may be less so. All provide a great opportunity for students to dive into cumulative lessons that feature complex letter combinations along with opportunities for critical thinking. They will learn to recognize many r-controlled vowels, diphthongs, complicated vowel teams, the -le syllable, and a range of prefixes and suffixes while also considering some life lessons. Each book includes a glossary, a note to the caregiver, and a word list that is organized by Focus words, High-Frequency words, and Challenge words.