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Jane's Backyard Picnic

Two Short Syllables 2nd Phase 5
Jane's Backyard Picnic
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 1
1Jane wanted to have a perfect sunny picnic. She grabbed her large wooden basket from the kitchen shelf. Inside the basket, she laid a soft velvet cloth to keep everything safe. "I am ready for a grand day," Jane said to herself.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 2
2She wanted to ask her friend Gwen to join her under the big oak tree. Jane went to the kitchen to pack some treats. She baked a fresh blueberry muffin that smelled wonderful. She put the warm muffin inside the basket, right next to a red paper napkin.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 3
3Jane also found a small bag of walnuts to snack on. She even tied a bright red ribbon to the basket top to make it pretty. Everything was neat and ready. Jane put on her blue helmet to ride her bike to the big tree.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 4
4As she walked outside, she noticed that a shiny brass button on her pocket was not tight. She did not want to drop it, so she stopped to fix it. Just then, a wild rabbit hopped out of the green bushes. The rabbit was quick and curious.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 5
5He sniffed at the edge of the basket. "Stop!" Jane yelled. But the quick rabbit grabbed the bright red ribbon that she had tied to the basket top. The rabbit hopped away toward the garden fence, trailing the long ribbon behind him. Jane had to follow him!
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 6
6She did not want the rabbit to get hurt, and she wanted her ribbon back. Jane slowly walked toward the fence. She did not want to make the rabbit afraid. She saw that the rabbit had stopped beside a big cactus in the garden. He was looking at a tiny insect on a leaf.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 7
7Jane bent down in the grass. She gently took the ribbon back from the rabbit's paws. The rabbit did not run. Instead, he sat still and looked at Jane with big, bright eyes. Jane smiled and sat down right there in the grass. There was no need to ride to the big tree.
Jane's Backyard Picnic, page 8
8She set her picnic basket down. She broke off a bit of her muffin to share, but the rabbit chose to munch on a green leaf. Soon, Gwen arrived and joined them. It was the best picnic ever, even if they had a wild rabbit as a friend.
Circle or highlight all the two-syllable words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Jane put inside her basket to keep everything safe?
  2. What did the wild rabbit grab from Jane’s basket?
  3. Who joined Jane and the rabbit for the picnic?
Keep practicing
Practice Two Short Syllables with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
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Jane's Backyard Picnic printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Two Short Syllables
Grade Level 2nd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Two Short Syllables Worksheets

Target Words

napkin rabbit picnic muffin magnet basket kitten mitten button ribbon insect goblin

Sight Words

the a and to was is it she he they said have with you are of for her there one into what when out about

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About This Decodable Reader

“Jane's Backyard Picnic” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd students practicing two short syllables 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 two short syllables 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 221 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with two short syllables patterns, try our two short syllables phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.