Deb's Yams

Short A Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Deb's Yams
Deb's Yams, page 1
1Deb had a bag of yams. Deb dug six pits. Deb set a yam in each pit. Then Deb had a nap. Deb got up.
Deb's Yams, page 2
2"I will dig a pit for the yams in my bag," said Deb. Dig, dig! Deb dug up a yam. Dig, dig! Deb dug up six yams!
Deb's Yams, page 3
3"Oh no! It is my yam!" said Deb. Deb was sad. Deb set the yams in the pits. Deb got tags and rods.
Deb's Yams, page 4
4Deb set a tag on a rod by the pits. "Now I can see my yams," said Deb. Then the yams had big tops.
Circle or highlight all the short A words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Deb have in her bag?
  2. What did Deb dig up after her nap?
  3. What did Deb set by the pits at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Short A with 10 more free worksheets

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

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Deb's Yams printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)

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

Did they understand it?
One-page stories to read, then circle, color or draw

Free kindergarten reading comprehension sheets, built from the same short-vowel words as this book. Black and white, with answer keys.

See the kindergarten sheets →
← Meg Hops on the Mats Liv and the Gap →

About This Decodable Reader

“Deb's Yams” 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 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.