Image of Mike and Spike the mice
Antagain/Getty Images (Spike); JamesBrey/Getty Images (Bike); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
Silly Decodable,

Mike and Spike

By Liza Charlesworth
From the December 2023/January 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will decode words with the long-i/silent-e spelling pattern and understand the events of a story.

Lexiles: 280L
Word List: Mike, Spike, mice, prize, hide, whine, like, time, fine, vine, kite, bike, mine, bite, side, yikes, five, dine, smile, life
High Frequency Words: is, the, no, this
Challenge Words: mice, nice, maybe, high, slice
Featured Skill: Fluency, Vocabulary,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1.A Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults
TEKS Standards
  • English Language Arts (2) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell. The student is expected to: (B) demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by: (iii) decoding words with closed syllables; open syllables; VCe syllables; vowel teams, including vowel digraphs and diphthongs; and r-controlled syllables.

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It is my turn to hide, Spike.

I do not like this game, Mike. 

You win all the time.

If you win, you can have this prize.

That will make you smile.

Fine, Mike.

Go and hide.

Is Mike on the vine? No.

Is Mike behind the kite? No.

Is Mike by the bike? No.

This is not nice.

The prize will not be mine.

I will sit here and whine.

Or maybe I will take a small bite.

Just a bit from the side.

Yikes!

It is Mike!

Here I am. 

You win, Spike. High five!

Now it is time to dine. 

Have a slice, Mike. 

What a nice life for mice.

Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus 

Phonics and Phonological Awareness

Fluency

Phonics Focus

long-i/silent- \e

Word List

Mike, Spike, mice, prize, hide, whine, like, time, fine, vine, kite, bike, mine, bite, side, yikes, five, dine, smile, life

High Frequency Words

is, the, no, this

Challenge Words

mice, nice, maybe, high, slice

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

Whole Group; Small Group; Technology Time

Pairings and Text Connections

  • From the Storyworks archive: "Silly Story: A Cake for Jake,” February 2023
  • Suggested books: Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner; Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Before-Reading Resources

  • Word Sounds Slideshow (3 minutes): Preview long-i/silent-e words from the story.

Suggested Reading Focus

Phonics and Comprehension (20 minutes)
  • Do a mini phonics lesson to review words with a silent-e spelling pattern. In words with silent-e spelling patterns, the vowel commonly makes a long vowel sound. The e is silent at the end of a word and does not make a sound.
  • A good way to reinforce this for children is to remind them that silent-e makes the vowel say its name.
  • Practice the silent-e pattern through the use of minimal pairs, which help to contrast words with and without the silent-e spelling pattern. For example: hid/hide; sit/site; fin/fine; kit/kite; dim/dime.
  • Review high-frequency words from the story. Students can practice reading words with a partner, as a class, and individually.
  • As children read, check comprehension. What game are the mice playing? Why doesn’t Spike like the game? Where does Spike look for Mike? Who won the game? What was the prize?
  • Have students review the story and highlight words with the long-i/silent-e pattern. They can practice by reading words aloud.

 

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Phonics; phonological awareness  (15 minutes)

Extension Activity

Skills: Prediction (15 minutes)

  • In the story, Mike the mouse hides in several different places. Ask students: Where else do you think Mike could hide? Guide students to draw another hiding place with Mike in the picture.

Text-to-Speech