Tom's Lost Cap

Short A Kindergarten CVC Foundations
Tom's Lost Cap
Tom's Lost Cap, page 1
1Tom and Dad will pack the van. Tom put his big red bag in the van.
Tom's Lost Cap, page 2
2Dad put his map in the van. "I can not find my cap," said Tom.
Tom's Lost Cap, page 3
3Tom was very sad. Dad did pull up a mat. The cap was hid by it!
Tom's Lost Cap, page 4
4Tom ran to Dad. "My cap!" said Tom. He put the cap on. Now they can go.
Circle or highlight all the target words in the story above.

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. What did Tom put in the van?
  2. Why was Tom very sad?
  3. What did Tom do after he ran to Dad?
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.

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Tom's Lost Cap 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)

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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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.

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About This Decodable Reader

“Tom's Lost Cap” 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.