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Beth's Mice Run Off

Soft G 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Beth's Mice Run Off
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 1
1Beth had two pet mice in a cage. She wanted to show them to the kids at the gym.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 2
2But the hinge on the cage was bent, and the door would not shut all the way. Beth set the cage down by the stage.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 3
3The mice gave the door a push and ran! They hid under the edge of the stage. "Mice!" yelled Jan. She lunged at them.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 4
4The mice ran far back into the dim space. "Hush, Jan," said Beth. "This gym is huge and strange to them, and you look like a giant.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 5
5We must be gentle." "What can we do?" Jan whispered. Beth had a plan. She got a bag of rice from her pack.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 6
6She made a thin line of rice from the edge of the stage to the cage. Then she and Jan sat still.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 7
7Soon a pink nose poked out, and then one more. The mice ate the rice, bit by bit, all the way into the cage.
Beth's Mice Run Off, page 8
8Beth shut the door and fixed the hinge with a clip. "That was like magic," said Jan. "No," said Beth with a grin. "Just rice."
Circle or highlight all the words where G says /j/ (like gem and cage). How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What pets did Beth have in a cage?
  2. Where did Beth’s mice hide?
  3. What did Beth use to get the mice back?
Keep practicing
Practice Soft G with 10 more free worksheets

Picture worksheets to read, match and spell these words, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

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Beth's Mice Run Off printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Soft G
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Soft G Worksheets

Target Words

gem gel germ giant age cage page stage rage wage sage huge

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have

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About This Decodable Reader

“Beth's Mice Run Off” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing soft g phonics patterns. This mini-book uses phonetically controlled vocabulary so beginning readers can successfully sound out nearly every word in the story, building confidence and reinforcing the specific phonics skills they're learning.

The free PDF is a full-color illustrated mini-book: a cover, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the soft g words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the five sheets, cut each one in half along the dashed line, and staple — your child has a real little book to hold. A read-aloud version with one large page per sheet is also included for projecting to the whole class.

This reader is part of our collection of free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with soft g patterns, try our soft g phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.