Jane's Purple Fern

R-Controlled — ER 1st-2nd Phase 4
Jane's Purple Fern
Jane's Purple Fern, page 1
1Jane had a big fern. Its green stem did not perk up.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 2
2“It needs water,” said her mother. Jane got a big pot from under the sink.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 3
3She filled it with water. But the pot was too much for her to hold up!
Jane's Purple Fern, page 4
4Her big sister, Kim, saw her. “I can help you with that,” said Kim.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 5
5Together, they carried the super big pot of water over to the fern.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 6
6Jane held one side and her sister held the other.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 7
7After they gave it a drink, the fern looked better.
Jane's Purple Fern, page 8
8“Thank you, sister,” Jane whispered to Kim.
Circle or highlight all the ER r-controlled words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Jane get the big pot from?
  2. Why did Kim help Jane with the pot?
  3. How did Jane’s fern look after getting water?
Keep practicing
Practice R-Controlled — ER 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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Jane's Purple Fern 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 R-Controlled — ER
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4

Target Words

her fern herd jerk perk term perm verb herb after river never

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be
← Pam's Farm Cart Beth's Thirsty Bird →

About This Decodable Reader

“Jane's Purple Fern” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing r-controlled — er 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 r-controlled — er 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 r-controlled — er patterns, try our r-controlled — er phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.