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Pip's Ten Hens

Short E Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Pip's Ten Hens
Pip's Ten Hens, page 1
1Pip had ten red hens. But the hens ran and ran. Pip had to get them in the pen. He ran to get the hens, but the hens did not stop.
Pip's Ten Hens, page 2
2A hen ran in the wet sod. "Get in the pen!" Pip said. Then, Pip had a good thing to do. He got a tub of wet mud.
Pip's Ten Hens, page 3
3He put his leg in the mud. He bent his leg and let it kick the mud. Wet mud got on the hens! The hens did not like the wet mud.
Pip's Ten Hens, page 4
4The hens ran and ran to get in the pen! Pip got them back to the pen. He set a peg on the pen.
Circle or highlight all the short E words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What color are Pip’s ten hens?
  2. What did Pip kick to get on the hens?
  3. What did Pip set on the pen at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Short E with 10 more free worksheets

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

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Pip's Ten Hens printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Read-aloud version (one page per sheet, for projecting)
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Reader Details

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

Target Words

bed red fed led wed hen pen ten men den jet net

Sight Words

the is a and to was it on his her

More Short E Readers

Red the Hen illustration
Red the Hen
 Ned's Wet Pet illustration
Ned's Wet Pet
 Ben's Red Jet illustration
Ben's Red Jet
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 →
← Ron and the Fox in a Box Gus Tugs the Rug →

About This Decodable Reader

“Pip's Ten Hens” is a free printable decodable reader designed for kindergarten students practicing short e 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 e 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 e patterns, try our short e phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.