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Gus and the Stick

S-Blends Kindergarten – 1st Grade Blends & Digraphs
Gus and the Stick
Gus and the Stick, page 1
1Gus the dog had a big stick. He had his stick in the grass.
Gus and the Stick, page 2
2But the stick was stuck! Gus got mad. "This is not fun," Gus said.
Gus and the Stick, page 3
3He got a big grip on the stick. Snap! It was not stuck!
Gus and the Stick, page 4
4Gus had his stick. He ran in the pond. Gus had a long swim with his stick.
Circle or highlight all the words that start with a consonant blend. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Gus have his stick at first?
  2. Why did Gus get mad?
  3. What did Gus do at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice S-Blends 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.

Get the S-Blends worksheets →
Gus and the Stick 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)
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill S-Blends
Grade Level Kindergarten – 1st Grade
Phase Blends & Digraphs
Worksheets S-Blends Worksheets

Target Words

scan skip skin smell snap snag snug spin spot spell stamp step

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they

More S-Blends Readers

Shelly's Swing illustration
Shelly's Swing
 Pam's Pond Path illustration
Pam's Pond Path
 Deb Does Not Stink illustration
Deb Does Not Stink
← Pam's Pond Path Jane's Safe Mix →

About This Decodable Reader

“Gus and the Stick” is a free printable decodable reader designed for kindergarten and 1st grade students practicing s-blends 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 s-blends 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 s-blends patterns, try our s-blends phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.