Free printable · Kindergarten to Grade 1
Free short vowel decodable passages
Three short CVC stories, one each for short i, short o and short e. Every word uses that short vowel, one taught before it, or a listed heart word, and every word is checked. Each prints with words to read first, the story with a picture, a read-it-again check, questions with sentence starters and an answer key.
More pages in this PDF
Bob and the Box (short o)
Ten Red Hens (short e)
Make your own in seconds
Ask for a decodable passage for short u, digraphs, blends, silent e or vowel teams, and SCAFLI opens a checked passage with questions.
Try asking for:
- “short u decodable passage”
- “short o decodable passage”
SCAFLI is in early access. The free PDF above needs no sign-up.
What it is
Decodable passages for short vowels, in the order most phonics programs teach them, each with comprehension questions and a key.
How to use it
- Read the words at the top together first, then the heart words.
- Have the student read the passage aloud, then read it again more smoothly.
- Answer the questions together, pointing back to the line in the story.
Three quick tips
- Let the student sound out before you help.
- Read the same passage on two or three days to build fluency.
- Check a box each time it's read; the second read is where fluency grows.
Questions
- Is every word really decodable?
- Yes. SCAFLI checks every word: it uses that pattern, one taught before it, or one of the listed heart words.
- What are heart words?
- Words with a part that can't be sounded out yet, like the or was. They are listed at the top so the student can learn them by heart first.
- Is there short a?
- Yes. There is a free short a decodable passage too, and SCAFLI has one for every short vowel.
A starting point for your own professional judgment. Use initials only on any page about a student.