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
The duck and the little crew — 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
The duck sees a boat by the reeds.
A shrew is stuck on the boat.
The duck swims to the rope.
The shrew gives a small squeak.
The duck tugs at the rope.
The boat will not shift.
A goose swims up.
The goose can help pull.
The duck and the goose tug as a crew.
The boat slides off the mud.
The shrew leaps to the bank.
The duck lets go of the rope.
A small crew can do a big job.
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, shrew, swims, gives, squeak, goose, help, pull, slides, leaps, of, do
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
Why could the duck not move the boat at first? It was stuck in the mud and needed another helper. What changed when the goose helped? Together they pulled the boat free.
duck · boat
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.
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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.
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