Nature Books for 3rd Graders

Welcome to the wide, green plains of Minecraft, where the grass stretches out as far as you can see! Can you hear a horse neigh near the fence, or spot a cow grazing in the shade? Which peaceful mobs live in this sunny neighbourhood, and why does a farmer need to balance the herd? This decodable reader practises the ’eigh’ phonogram with words like ’eighty,’ ’neigh,’ ‘weighs,’ and ‘outweigh.’

Phoebe the fish knows her lake is the best lake in the whole wide world - cool green shade, smooth rocks, and every ripple just right. But one morning, something strange bobs on the surface, and rubbish starts drifting past her nose. Who would dump junk in her beautiful home, and can one small fish really make them stop? This decodable reader practises the ‘ph’ sound in words like ‘phenomenal,’ ‘catastrophe,’ ‘megaphone,’ and ‘phantom.’

High on a dry ridge where no rain has fallen for a whole season, an old woman named Nozipho watches the world and waits. When the maize withers and the river shrinks to a trickle, who could possibly know a way to save the village? Could the answer be something everyone has walked past for years? This Bookbot level practises the /f/ sound spelled with ph, using lesson words like ’epiphany’, ‘megaphone’, ’triumph’ and ‘phew’.

Step into the shady world of Minecraft forests, where oak and birch trees pack tight and the floor stays cool and dim. Can Alex keep her wits about her when thick leaves block her view and mobs lurk behind every trunk? Why is wood the most treasured thing in the game, and what happens when too many trees fall? Gather provisions, spot rare dark oaks, and help replant a greener world. This decodable reader practises si making /zh/ in words like ’treasure,’ ‘vision,’ ‘unusual,’ and ‘decision.’