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Kate's Apple Cake

The -le Ending 2nd-3rd Phase 5
Kate's Apple Cake
Kate's Apple Cake, page 1
1Kate was a busy squirrel. Today was Jay the blue jay's birthday party. She had a plan to make a very special treat for him. Kate ran into her kitchen to bake. She began mixing sugar and a fresh apple. Soon, she had a huge apple cake! She put a tall purple candle right on top.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 2
2Then, she put a glass bottle of cold juice with it. Kate put everything in a basket to take to the party. She ran down the path to the river. But when she got there, she froze. The bridge was gone! The long wooden logs lay in the mud.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 3
3Kate set her basket down by a muddy puddle. "Oh no," she said. "How can I cross the river with this cake? This is a big mess." She gave a small pebble a kick. She felt very sad. Just then, her good pal Bret ran by. Bret wore his bright orange shirt.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 4
4"Why are you so sad, Kate?" he said. Kate pointed to the logs in the mud. "I must get this apple cake to Jay," she said to him. "But the water is too deep for a squirrel to wade across. The cake will get wet!" Bret began to look around the river bank.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 5
5He spotted a small wooden table by an old picnic bench. "I have a simple plan," Bret said with a huge grin. He ran over to drag the table to the edge of the water. Then, he turned it over. The four legs pointed up into the air. It was just like a funny wooden boat!
Kate's Apple Cake, page 6
6"Wow!" said Kate with a happy smile. She was careful to climb onto the table. She set the heavy basket right in the middle. Bret got into the river. He held the table boat in his hands. He gave it a soft, gentle push. The table did float very well. Bret swam slowly across the wide river.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 7
7He held his head up high. A little fish swam by to blow a big bubble. Bret just swam on. He was very strong. Soon, the funny boat slid onto the sand on the other side. Jay the blue jay was there to wait for them under a tall oak tree.
Kate's Apple Cake, page 8
8He let out a joyful giggle when he saw the table on the sand. "You made a boat out of a table!" he said. Kate and Bret did climb onto dry land. They lit the purple candle and began to sing. Then, they all sat down to eat the best apple cake ever and drink the cold juice.
Circle or highlight all the words that end in -le in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Kate bake for Jay’s birthday party?
  2. What did Bret turn into a boat?
  3. What did Kate, Bret, and Jay do at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice The -le Ending with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the The -le Ending worksheets →
Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Kate's Apple Cake illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 8 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill The -le Ending
Grade Level 2nd-3rd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets The -le Ending Worksheets

Target Words

little apple table purple candle middle bottle giggle puzzle saddle turtle marble

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

“Kate's Apple Cake” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd-3rd students practicing the -le ending 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 the -le ending 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 193 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with the -le ending patterns, try our the -le ending phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.