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Pat in the Van

Short A Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Pat in the Van
Pat in the Van, page 1
1Dad had a big van. "We will go to camp," said Dad. Ben ran to the van.
Pat in the Van, page 2
2He had a bag and a map. Pat the cat ran into the van, too. Pat sat on the map.
Pat in the Van, page 3
3"Get off the map, Pat," said Ben. Pat did not get off. He sat on Dad's hat! "Oh no," said Dad.
Pat in the Van, page 4
4"You can not go. You must nap at home." Dad put Pat on his mat. Pat was sad, but he had a good nap.
Circle or highlight all the target words in the story above.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Ben bring to the van?
  2. What did Pat do after sitting on the map?
  3. Where did Pat have a good nap at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Short A with 10 more free worksheets

Picture worksheets to read, match and spell short a words, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

Get the Short A worksheets →
Pat in the Van printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
Full-color picture book • Print, cut & staple • No signup required
Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
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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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 Dan Plays Tag illustration
Dan Plays Tag
 Gus and the Cap illustration
Gus and the Cap
 Sal's Big Bag illustration
Sal's Big Bag
 Hal's Big Fan illustration
Hal's Big Fan
 Jon's Bag illustration
Jon's Bag
 Dad's Lost Map illustration
Dad's Lost Map
 Sal and Pat illustration
Sal and Pat
 Tam at Bat illustration
Tam at Bat
 Meg Hops on the Mats illustration
Meg Hops on the Mats
 Deb's Yams illustration
Deb's Yams
 Liv and the Gap illustration
Liv and the Gap
Did they understand it?
One-page stories to read, then circle, color or draw

Free kindergarten reading comprehension sheets, built from the same short-vowel words as this book. Black and white, with answer keys.

See the kindergarten sheets →
← Sal and Pat Ken's Camp Kit →

About This Decodable Reader

“Pat in the Van” 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 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.