Ned's Lost Cap

Short A Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Ned's Lost Cap
Ned's Lost Cap, page 1
1Ned had a red cap. Gus the dog ran off with it. "My cap!" said Ned.
Ned's Lost Cap, page 2
2He was very sad. He ran to tell Dad. Dad got a bag of ham.
Ned's Lost Cap, page 3
3Gus ran back to Dad. He let go of the cap to get the ham.
Ned's Lost Cap, page 4
4Ned got his cap back. Gus sat on the mat to eat. "Thank you, Dad," said Ned.
Circle or highlight all the target words in the story above.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Who ran off with Ned’s red cap?
  2. What did Dad use to get Gus to come back?
  3. Where did Gus sit to eat at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Short A with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
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Download Mini-Book
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Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Ned's Lost Cap illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 4 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Short A
Grade Level Kindergarten
Phase CVC Foundations
Worksheets Short A Worksheets

Target Words

cat bat hat mat sat tap cap nap map van can ran

Sight Words

the is a and to was it on his had her he my said

More Short A Readers

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About This Decodable Reader

“Ned's Lost Cap” is a free printable decodable reader designed for kindergarten students practicing short a 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, four picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the short a words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the three 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 short a patterns, try our short a phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.