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Tim's Honey Jug

Vowel Team — EY 1st-2nd Phase 4
Tim's Honey Jug
Tim's Honey Jug, page 1
1Tim and Jade went on a long journey in the valley. The sun was hot, and they wanted a snack. Then Tim sniffed. He could smell honey!
Tim's Honey Jug, page 2
2"Hey, look up there!" said Tim. A big hive sat way up on a grey cliff. Honey dripped from it, drop by drop. Tim wanted that honey so much.
Tim's Honey Jug, page 3
3He ran to the cliff and tried to go up, but the rock was too slick to grip. He slid back down. He tried again and fell on his back in the dust.
Tim's Honey Jug, page 4
4"I am not a monkey," he said with a huff. "I can not get up there." Jade surveyed the cliff. "I have a plan," she said. "The key is this pulley."
Tim's Honey Jug, page 5
5She had a pulley, a rope, and a jug in her pack. She took the long path around the back of the hill to the top. There she fixed the pulley to a pine that bent out over the cliff.
Tim's Honey Jug, page 6
6She put the rope over the pulley and let both ends drop down to Tim. Then she came back down and hitched the jug to one end.
Tim's Honey Jug, page 7
7"Pull!" said Jade. Tim pulled, and the jug rose up, up, up to the hive. They held the rope still. Drip, drip, drip went the honey, until the jug was full. They let the jug down inch by inch.
Tim's Honey Jug, page 8
8Then they took it home and had honey on warm barley cake. "This is better than money," said Tim, licking his chin. "Tomorrow, we will take two jugs," said Jade with a grin.
Circle the words where EY says E (like key). Underline the words where EY says A (like they).

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Tim smell in the valley?
  2. Why couldn’t Tim go up the cliff?
  3. What did Tim and Jade eat at home?
Keep practicing
Practice Vowel Team — EY with 4 more free worksheets

The words from this story, on printable practice sheets:

Word sortPhrasing cardsRapid naming chartWord search
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Tim's Honey Jug printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Vowel Team — EY
Grade Level 1st-2nd
Phase Phase 4
Worksheets Vowel Team — EY Worksheets

Target Words

key monkey honey money donkey turkey valley alley chimney hockey jersey trolley

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have with you are be
← Ken's Feather Bed Max and the Big Sleigh →

About This Decodable Reader

“Tim's Honey Jug” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st-2nd students practicing vowel team — ey 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 vowel team — ey 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 221 free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with vowel team — ey patterns, try our vowel team — ey phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.