Bonus Letter Safari Worksheet
Bonus Letter Safari
Phonics & Reading Comprehension: The Double Letter Rule (-ff, -ll, -ss)
Name:
Date:
Rule Reminder
When a one-syllable word has a short vowel right before f, l, or s, we double the letter: ff, ll, ss!
cliff bell grass
Story
The Brass Bell on the Cliff
Read the story carefully, then answer the questions below.
Cliff and Tess went for a brisk hike up the tall hill. A quick gust gave a chill puff of wind. High up on the rocky cliff, Tess spotted a shining brass bell nestled in the green moss.
"Look at that old bell!" Cliff did yell with a grin. Just then, a wild sea gull flew past with a small white shell in its bill. Tess reached out and gave the bell a gentle tap. CLANG!
Out from the tall grass dashed a fluffy lost pup! He ran over and gave Tess a friendly sniff on her boot. "Do not fuss, little pup," said Tess softly. "You will not miss your family. We will ring the bell loudly so they can spot us by the stone well!"
Part 1
Bonus Letter Hunt: Find & Write Words from the Story
Words with -ff Write 1 word
Words with -ll Write 1 word
Words with -ss Write 1 word
Part 2
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. Where did Tess discover the brass bell?
A. Deep inside a dark cave B. In the green moss on the cliff C. Under a log in the water
2. What animal dashed out when Tess tapped the bell?
A. A fluffy lost pup B. A red woodland fox C. A noisy sea gull
3. Why did Tess and Cliff want to ring the bell loudly? (Answer in a complete sentence.)
Star Question What did the wild gull carry in its bill?
Answer:
Bonus Letter Safari Answer Key
Bonus Letter Safari
Teacher Answer Key
Phonics Reference, Word Master List & Comprehension Rubric
Grade Level: 1st – 2nd Grade
Skill: FLOSS Rule (ff, ll, ss)
Phonics Rule Check The FLOSS Rule: At the end of a one-syllable word with a single short vowel, double f, l, or s (and z).
Notation: Mark with a star (★) above the bonus letter
Passage Word Analysis: Bonus Letters in Story
Total target words: 17 occurrences
Words with -ff (3) /f/
- • Cliff (short i)
- • puff (short u)
- • sniff (short i)
Words with -ll (8) /l/
- • tall
- • hill
- • chill
- • bell
- • yell
- • gull
- • bill
- • will / well
Words with -ss (6) /s/
- • Tess
- • brass
- • moss
- • grass
- • fuss
- • miss
Part 1 Bonus Letter Hunt Answers
Any 1 valid word per category accepted
-ff acceptable words:
Cliff, puff, sniff
-ll acceptable words:
tall, hill, chill, bell, yell, gull, bill, will, well
-ss acceptable words:
Tess, brass, moss, grass, fuss, miss
Part 2
Comprehension Question Solutions & Rationale
1. Where did Tess discover the brass bell?
Correct: Option B
Answer: In the green moss on the cliff
Textual Evidence: "High up on the rocky cliff, Tess spotted a shining brass bell nestled in the green moss."
2. What animal dashed out when Tess tapped the bell?
Correct: Option A
Answer: A fluffy lost pup
Textual Evidence: "Out from the tall grass dashed a fluffy lost pup!" (Distractor check: the gull was already overhead; the fox is not in the text).
3. Why did Tess and Cliff want to ring the bell loudly?
Constructed Response Rubric
Exemplar Student Response:
"They wanted to ring the bell so the pup's family could hear it and find them by the stone well."
Grading Criteria: Full credit (2 pts) includes the purpose (finding the pup's home/family) and written in a complete sentence with capital letter and period.
4. Star Question: What did the wild gull carry in its bill?
Answer: A small white shell
Evidence: "...flew past with a small white shell in its bill."
Instructional Tip: Remind students that bonus letters represent one sound (digraph-like single phoneme), not two separate sounds. Have them tap: /k/ /l/ /ɪ/ /f/ = 4 taps for "cliff"!
