Decodable Mini-Stories (PDF)

Six tiny stories written with sounds a beginner knows, so a child can read connected text — not just word lists — for the first time.

What’s inside

• Story 1: Sam and the Cat ("Sam has a cat. The cat sat on a mat.").
• Story 2: Ben's Pet Hen, Story 3: The Big Pig, Story 4: Tom's Dog, Story 5: The Fun Bug, Story 6: The Big Trip.
• Each story is a few short lines, with the instruction to read one line at a time and point to each word.

How to use it

1. Read the title together, then let your child read one line at a time, finger under each word.
2. Help with tricky words like "the" and "has" by simply telling them — they aren't sounded out.
3. After each story, ask one question about it ("What did the pig do?").
4. Re-read yesterday's story before starting a new one; the second read builds fluency.

Who it’s for

Ages 4–6, end of Stage 3 into Stage 4. A few words go beyond pure CVC (has, is, digs) — expect to help with those.

Where it fits: Stage 3 — Blending & Segmenting (CVC Words)

Goes well with

• Best Decodable Books for Phonics Beginners (By Stage)
• How to Teach Phoneme Blending: 5 Steps from /c/-/a/-/t/ to Reading
• Finish lesson: time for real books