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Ned's Red Vest

Three-Letter Blends Kindergarten – 1st Grade Blends & Digraphs
Ned's Red Vest
Ned's Red Vest, page 1
1Ned got a red vest at the thrift shop. It had a strap on the back and a black spot. "I will scrub it clean," said Ned. He filled the tub.
Ned's Red Vest, page 2
2It was hot, hot, hot. Ned scrubbed and scrubbed. Splash! The spot was off at last. But when Ned put on the vest, it did not fit. It was much too small!
Ned's Red Vest, page 3
3"Oh no," said Ned. "A hot bath can make a vest shrink!" Ned tugged the vest to stretch it. Snap! The strap split in two. Ned shrugged. Then he had a plan.
Ned's Red Vest, page 4
4He ran to see little Jim. Jim put on the red vest. It was not too big and not too small. "It is the best fit yet!" said Jim with a grin.
Circle or highlight all the words that START with a three-letter blend (like str, spl or scr). How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Ned get the red vest?
  2. Why did Ned’s vest not fit after the bath?
  3. Who did the red vest fit at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Three-Letter Blends with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Three-Letter Blends worksheets →
Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
Ned's Red Vest illustrated mini-book cover
Cover + 4 illustrated pages

Reader Details

Phonics Skill Three-Letter Blends
Grade Level Kindergarten – 1st Grade
Phase Blends & Digraphs
Worksheets Three-Letter Blends Worksheets

Target Words

strap strip string strong struck stretch spring sprint sprang split splash splat

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they
← Jane's Mend Stand Brad's Bridge →

About This Decodable Reader

“Ned's Red Vest” is a free printable decodable reader designed for kindergarten and 1st grade students practicing three-letter blends 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 three-letter blends 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 211 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with three-letter blends patterns, try our three-letter blends phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.