Letters & early reading · Challenge 1
Letter recognition games
Small matching games for noticing letters, with easy starting points and ideas to make a familiar game harder.
3–4 · 4–5 years · FreeExplore activity
Little reading story · Free printable
Ben and the way home — short reading story
Read a connected mini-adventure with a grown-up. This story is intended for a child who already knows the listed letter–sound correspondences and can blend them in these words. It is a practice text selected by skill, not a text every child of a certain age should be able to read.
Take a little peek2 items · Original illustrations
Reading group 4 · Read together
Ben sees the red hen by the gate.
The hen has crept out of the pen.
Ben holds the gate wide.
The hen pecks at a stone.
Ben puts a few seeds in a dish.
The hen trots to the dish.
Ben moves the dish a short way.
The hen trots after it.
Step by step, they get to the pen.
Ben puts the dish in the shade.
The hen has a safe place to rest.
Ben shuts the gate with a smile.
The red hen is home at last.
First activity preview shown. The PDF contains the little reading story layout.
Inside the printable
First page shown. The download includes the complete activity and grown-up guidance.
Before reading together
Sounds and spellings: s · a · t · p · i · n · m · d · g · o · c · k · e · u · r · h · b · f · l · j · v · w · x · y · z · ck · ff · ll · ss · qu · sh · ch · th · ng · nk · ai · ay · ee · ea · igh · oa · oo · ar · or · ur · ow · oi · a_e · e_e · i_e · o_e · u_e · ew · ue · ou · oy · au · aw · er · air · ear
Words to check or supply: a, the, is, has, as, to, i, sees, by, of, holds, puts, seeds, moves, after, they, safe, place
Use split digraphs and alternative vowel spellings. Check the supplied words before reading.
A grown-up reads the title and instructions. Read the story words first; use the picture afterwards to talk about meaning. Follow your school’s teaching order.
What we’re exploring
Apply familiar letter–sound knowledge in a short connected text and discuss what happened.
A little way to play
- An adult checks every listed spelling and the whole text against what the child has been taught.
- Introduce any exception words and the character name before reading. An adult reads the title, directions and questions.
- Invite the child to blend known words. Supply an unfamiliar word rather than encouraging a guess from the picture.
- Read again if wanted, then discuss the two questions orally.
Make it easier
An adult reads the story aloud. The child can join in with one known word or sentence and still enjoy discussing the illustration.
Try a little moreReread a familiar sentence smoothly, explain an answer using the text, or retell the events without adding a new reading level.
For the grown-up
These original stories are independent of commercial phonics schemes. The prerequisite list is a selection aid, not a claim of curriculum alignment. Pronunciation and what has been taught vary. The illustration supports enjoyment and conversation; it should not be used to guess an unknown written word.
Answers & naming help
How did Ben guide the hen back? He moved a dish of seeds a short way at a time. What did Ben remember at the end? To shut the gate.
chicken · rain
How do I print this?
Choose your vocabulary and paper size, then download the PDF. Print at actual size or 100%. Use the low-ink option for outline activities; colour-name cards still need their colour to teach the word. Cut-and-stack mini-books are available in the flashcard maker.
Keep the discoveries going.
More little reading adventures ↗Letters & early reading · Challenge 1
Alphabet chart
A clear A–Z chart with matching capital and lowercase letters for pointing, comparing and finding familiar names.
3–4 · 4–5 years · FreeExplore activity
Little reading adventures · Reading group 1
Sam and a cat — short reading story
Read Sam and a cat: an original 12-sentence mini-adventure in reading group 1, with a problem to solve, clear sound prerequisites and discussion questions.
4–5 years · FreeExplore activity