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Dan Plays Tag

Short A Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Dan Plays Tag
Dan Plays Tag, page 1
1"Can we play tag?" Dan said to Dad. "I must pack this bag," said Dad. Dan was sad.
Dan Plays Tag, page 2
2He ran to the mat. Pat the cat sat on the mat. "Will you play?" said Dan.
Dan Plays Tag, page 3
3Pat did not play. The fat cat had a nap. Then Gus the dog ran in.
Dan Plays Tag, page 4
4He wagged and wagged. Gus ran off with Dan's cap. "Tag!" said Dan. Dan ran after Gus.
Circle or highlight all the target words in the story above.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Who did Dan ask to play tag first?
  2. What did Gus the dog take from Dan?
  3. Who did Dan run after at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Short A with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Short A worksheets →
Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Dan Plays Tag illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 4 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Short A
Grade Level Kindergarten
Phase CVC Foundations
Worksheets Short A Worksheets

Target Words

cat bat hat mat sat tap cap nap map van can ran

Sight Words

the is a and to was it on his had her he my said

More Short A Readers

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Kim's Jam
 Max's Hiding Cat illustration
Max's Hiding Cat
 Tom's Lost Cap illustration
Tom's Lost Cap
 Ned's Lost Cap illustration
Ned's Lost Cap
 Sal's Big Bag illustration
Sal's Big Bag
 Hal's Big Fan illustration
Hal's Big Fan
 Jon's Bag illustration
Jon's Bag
 Ben's Red Cap illustration
Ben's Red Cap
 The Lost Map illustration
The Lost Map
 Dad's Lost Map illustration
Dad's Lost Map
 Hal's Lost Bat illustration
Hal's Lost Bat
 Ted's Red Hat illustration
Ted's Red Hat
 Sal and Pat illustration
Sal and Pat
 Pat in the Van illustration
Pat in the Van
← Rose Plays a Game Ned's Lost Cap →

About This Decodable Reader

“Dan Plays Tag” is a free printable decodable reader designed for kindergarten students practicing short a 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, four picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the short a words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the three 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 193 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with short a patterns, try our short a phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.