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Sam Stops the Race

Silent E — Long E 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Sam Stops the Race
Sam Stops the Race, page 1
1Sam was an athlete. Today was the day of the big race, and Sam wanted to compete. Most of all, he wanted to win the prize.
Sam Stops the Race, page 2
2"I will run fast," Sam said to his pal Tim. "So will I," said Tim with a grin.
Sam Stops the Race, page 3
3The race started, and Sam ran well. He was in first place! Then he saw a thin line on the track.
Sam Stops the Race, page 4
4It was a line of little centipedes, and a stampede of athletes was running right at them. Sam stopped. "Stop!" he yelled.
Sam Stops the Race, page 5
5"Centipedes here!" Tim heard him and stopped. The other athletes stopped too. Then they all stepped over the line and let the centipedes pass.
Sam Stops the Race, page 6
6Not one little leg was hurt. Sam did not run until the last centipede was safe. Now he was at the back.
Sam Stops the Race, page 7
7He could not win the prize. Still, he ran on to complete the race, and he got to the end with a big smile.
Sam Stops the Race, page 8
8Then all the athletes clapped for Sam. "That was a kind thing to do," said Tim. "You are the best athlete here."
Circle or highlight all the words where silent E makes the first E say its name (like these and Pete). How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Sam want to win?
  2. Why did Sam stop running in the race?
  3. What did all the athletes do for Sam at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Silent E — Long E with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
Get the Silent E — Long E worksheets →
Sam Stops the Race 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 Silent E — Long E
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Silent E — Long E Worksheets

Target Words

these theme scene eve here gene mere complete compete delete athlete extreme

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have
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About This Decodable Reader

“Sam Stops the Race” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing silent e — long 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, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the silent e — long e 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 220 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with silent e — long e patterns, try our silent e — long e phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.