Jane had a look out the window. The cold winter snow had finally melted, leaving the ground wet and brown. The warm sun was here! Jane had planned a big job for this very day. She wanted to make a beautiful garden in the yard. She got her boots and ran outside to get started.
First, she had to find her garden tools. Jane hunted in the dark garden shed until she found her old green spade. She dusted the spider webs off her spade. Next, she got a big bag of rich soil. Jane spent a long time mixing the new soil into the dirt patch. She wanted the ground to be soft and perfect for her new seeds.
Jane opened her bags of flower seeds. She made small, neat rows in the soft dirt. After dropping the tiny seeds into the ground, she began packing the warm dirt over them. "Grow well, little seeds," Jane said softly. She planted red roses, sweet peas, and tall yellow flowers.
After all that hard work, Jane sat on a bench, resting in the warm sunlight. As she sat, she spotted a small brown rabbit in the grass. The rabbit was hopping along the edge of the yard. It was jumping over the small sticks. Jane did not want to make her new friend afraid, so she sat very still.
A bright blue bird flew down and landed on the wooden fence. The bird chirped a sweet song while the rabbit kept playing in the grass. Jane watched a tiny bug twisting slowly up a blade of grass. "This is a wonderful spot," Jane whispered. She felt very happy to see so much life in her yard.
Suddenly, Jane's dog, Gus, came running out of the back door. The rabbit quickly darted into the bushes to hide. Gus made a happy sound and his tail was a fast blur. Jane grinned at her playful dog. He ran over and sat right by her feet. She clapped her hands and said, "Good dog, Gus! Help me watch my new garden."
“Jane's Spring Garden” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd-3rd students practicing adding -ing and -ed 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 2-page PDF includes the reading passage on page one and a coloring page illustration on page two. Print both pages, staple together, and your child has an instant mini-book. The coloring activity reinforces story comprehension and makes reading practice feel like a fun activity rather than homework.
This reader is part of our collection of 50 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with adding -ing and -ed patterns, try our adding -ing and -ed phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.