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Jen's Chalk Trick

Sounds of A — ALL, ALK, WA 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Jen's Chalk Trick
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 1
1Jen and Pam stood at the gate of a big maze. Its walls were made of tall green stalks.
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 2
2A red flag stood in the maze, far from the gate, and Jen wanted to find it. "I will be here," said Pam.
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 3
3Jen walked in. She went one way, then the other, then back again. But all the paths looked the same.
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 4
4Soon she walked past a small black rock. Then she walked past it again! "Oh no," said Jen. "I am lost."
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 5
5Then Jen thought of the chalk in her bag. She took it out and drew a white cross on a tall stalk.
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 6
6At every path she tried, she drew one more cross. Now she could always pick a new path. At last, Jen saw the red flag!
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 7
7She grabbed it and walked back out, from cross to cross. She could hear Pam calling at the gate.
Jen's Chalk Trick, page 8
8"You found it!" said Pam. "I had a little help," said Jen, and she held up her chalk.
Circle or highlight all the -ALL, -ALK and WA words (like ball, walk and wash). How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Jen want to find in the maze?
  2. What did Jen draw on the stalks with her chalk?
  3. What did Jen hold up at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Sounds of A — ALL, ALK, WA 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 Sounds of A — ALL, ALK, WA worksheets →
Jen's Chalk Trick printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Sounds of A — ALL, ALK, WA
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Sounds of A — ALL, ALK, WA Worksheets

Target Words

ball call fall tall wall hall mall small stall all walk talk

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have

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About This Decodable Reader

“Jen's Chalk Trick” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing sounds of a — all, alk, wa 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 sounds of a — all, alk, wa 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 sounds of a — all, alk, wa patterns, try our sounds of a — all, alk, wa phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.