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A Teachable Teacher

An inspirational and resourceful website for primary teachers.

Last updated on June 27, 2022

FREE Phonics Reading Passages Students Love to Read

These free phonics reading passages are a game changer in my classroom. We practice a phonics skill, reading fluency, comprehension and more all with one easy, printable page.

free silent e passages | Free Phonics Reading Passages

Free Phonics Reading Passages from my second All-in-One Reading Passages Bundle !

Free Phonics Reading Passages

Have you heard?  After so much positive feedback about my original All-in-One Reading Passages Bundle , I’ve finally decided to make a second set ! I started with the long vowel reading passages .

Reading passages All-in-One Bundle COVER SET TWO LOW

It *just so* happened that I finished it on the same day that my new binding machine came in!  Coincidence?  I think not! (Don’t tell my husband 😆).

Free Phonics Reading Passages

I have the masters of the original set in page protectors inside a binder, but I am going to try binding my masters on this set and see how I like it.

So far, I love having my master copies bound and I’ve threatened to bind any loose papers lying around the house.  😂

Speaking of binding, I bound all of the long vowel reading passages for some of my reading intervention students!  I love that this will keep all the stories together so they can take it home and reread it there.

Free Phonics Reading Passages | phonics stories

Don’t have a binding machine?  Don’t worry, you can always use a spiral notebook or a composition notebook.  Just print the pages at 80% scale and glue them in!

spiral notebook

I made a generic cover so that we can pair it with any of the passages.  You can download it for free at the bottom of this post. =)

Free Phonics Reading Passages

I’ve also added a clickable table of contents.  It won’t work from this blog post, but when you click this page within the PDF, it takes you straight to the reading passage you need.  I know!  So cool!!

long vowels

Since I’ll be giving you some free phonics reading passages at the bottom of this post, I wanted to take the time to show you how I use these reading passages in my own classroom!

First, I teach the phonics skill.

After we have had some guided practice, I introduce the reading passage.  The first thing we do is find and highlight all the target skill words.  Sometimes we use a highlighter and sometimes we use crayons.

teaching phonics skill | Free Phonics Reading Passages

Next, we make a list of all the words we found.

We can practice reading them in isolation to ensure we will be able to read them when we see them in context.  Sometimes we write the words on white boards, sometimes we write them on notecards, and sometimes we write them on lined paper.  In this picture below, I used a page protector with colored paper inside it and a dry erase marker.  Students keep these in their desks so they are always handy.  After writing the list, we read them to ourselves, with a partner, and chorally.

phonics practice for students

After that, we read the story three times.

I make sure that we are reading it a different way each time so it doesn’t get boring!  We usually start out reading it together, then with a partner, then with a different partner.  Sometimes we use silly voices, sometimes we whisper.  Whatever makes it fun. 😉  Students color a smiley face each time they read the story so we can track how many times we have read.

teaching phonics to kids

Now it’s time to show off our comprehension skills!

Because I encourage my students to answer the questions based on evidence from the text, we color the question number any color, and then highlight or underline the answer in the text with the same color.

reading fluency for kids

Just like that – students have practiced phonics , reading, fluency, and comprehension!  Hence the name…All-in-One. 😉

Because I teach reading intervention, I encourage my students to take their finished product home and read it to their parents. I even tell them to ask their parents the comprehension questions to see if they can remember the story.  (They love that.)

When I taught first grade, I sometimes sent these home as homework.  They are great for review.  There are so many ways to use this resource, and that’s why I am so excited to have a second set of stories available!  You can find them bundled and 20% off by clicking here .

reading passages bundle

If you are interested in both sets of reading passages (215+ phonics based stories), you are in luck! I’ve also created a SUPER BUNDLE !  You can find it by clicking here .

phonics reading passages

Are you ready for your freebie?

I know how hard it can be for students to get the hang of CVCe words (or “magic e” words or “sneaky e” words or “silent e” words), so I’ve created four additional CVCe reading passages!

They are brand NEW and not included in either bundle.  🤗

You can snag these free phonics reading passages by clicking on the image below! {The journal cover is in there too!}  I know you and your students will love them as much as we do. =)

FREE CVCe All-in-One Reading Passages

I’ve been getting a lot of emails and Q&A’s about the two bundles, so I wanted to answer them all in one place just in case anyone else has these questions as well!

frequently asked questions

Question : Are the stories the same as in the first All-in-One Reading Passages Bundle ?  Answer : No, these are brand new stories!  The formatting, style and the phonics skills are the same.

Question : Do I have to own the first set to be able to use the second set ?   Answer : No.  You can use either bundle on it’s own, but you’ll probably find two sets of stories for every phonics skill extremely useful!

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!  I am here to help.

About the Author

short a vowel stories free

I help elementary teachers streamline their phonics and reading instruction by giving them all of the information and resources they need to maximize every reading lesson and raise their students reading levels once and for all.

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short a vowel stories free

Reader Interactions

11 comments.

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April 7, 2016 at 2:05 pm

Lauren! I love your blog! I just started a teacher blog and would love if you went and checked it out!! http://mrs-clarks-classroom.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to more great things from you in the future.

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April 12, 2016 at 10:38 pm

Thanks Madalynn! I’ll be sure to check it out. =) Lauren

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April 19, 2016 at 7:36 am

Gud artical !

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April 20, 2016 at 4:23 am

Do you laminate the pages before you bind them?

April 21, 2016 at 2:00 am

Hi Minerva, No, I do not laminate them before binding. =) Lauren

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April 30, 2016 at 11:16 am

Out of curiosity which binder machine did you get? I’m thinking of getting one this summer.

May 9, 2016 at 10:27 pm

I got the GBC ProClick P50 Desktop Binding Machine. I ordered it on Amazon. =)

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July 16, 2016 at 10:31 pm

These will work perfectly as a reading rotation after I have introduced these sounds in spelling. Thank you for making these a free resource.

I will share how these went in my blog, once I have taught them.

July 16, 2016 at 10:39 pm

Also: What clip art is used for the ‘reading’ in the logo of ‘All in one Reading passages’?

I really like it!

July 18, 2016 at 5:31 pm

Hi again Lexi,

“Reading” is a font; it’s called KG Red Hands. =)

July 18, 2016 at 5:30 pm

Thanks for your kind words! I hope you love them!

free silent e passages

FREE Phonics Sentences Bundle

This is no ordinary bundle! When you sign up, you’ll get:

  • Ready-to-use pages for 100+ skills so you have exactly what you need for every phonics lesson without wasting precious time prepping materials!
  • 3 phonics lesson tips to ensure your students master phonics skills the first time they’re taught!
  • My secret to raising reading levels without spending all day teaching reading groups!

short a vowel stories free

Decodable Stories

As students proceed through the lessons, more story groups are available for reading aloud. In the first story groups, the language is quite controlled. In later story groups, after students have mastered a large percentage of the phonics patterns of English, the language increasingly resembles the language of ordinary texts the student will see at school or in the library.

Group 1: Short-Syllable Stories

Group 2: Silent-E Stories

Group 3: Open-and-Closed-Syllable Stories

Group 4: First Vowel Teams Stories

Group 5: R-Controlled Vowel Stories

Group 6: Snow, Cow, and Cloud Stories

Group 7: Consonant-le Stories

Group 8: “Y” as a Vowel Stories

Group 9: Soft “c” and “g” Stories

Group 10: Advanced Phonics Stories

short a vowel stories free

Open Source Phonics © 2024

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The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

PS PK K 1 2 3 106 Comments

Free decodable books

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Are you looking for free decodable books to use with your learners in the classroom or at home?

You’re in the right spot!

Get these free decodable books for beginning readers!

My experience with decodable books

I admit it. As a first grade teacher, I was in the anti-decodable books camp.

A big reason for that had to do with my misunderstanding of how children learn to read. I thought kids should use three-cueing as they read leveled books.

Now, however, I understand that students need to read decodable text so they get practice applying the phonics skills we’ve taught them.

Another reason I was anti-decodable was that I was less than impressed with the decodable books in the market. At the time (*ahem years ago), most decodable books were boring, stilted, and not something kids would want to read again and again.

Times have changed, and now you can choose from a huge variety of quality, decodable books.

I’m adding my free decodable books to the mix because I want everyone to have access to quality decodables, regardless of their budget.

At the end of this post, you’ll find the foldable, color version of each book for FREE when you join my free newsletter.

Pre-order my new book and get a FREE bonus!

short a vowel stories free

You’ll love this reader-friendly guide to the science of reading! Learn how to put the research into action so you can reach ALL readers. Pre-order before July 23 and get my Science of Reading Mini-Course – FREE!

What about comprehension and decodable text?

Another reason I used to be anti-decodable was that I thought kids would read them sooo sloowwwly they wouldn’t be able to comprehend the text. (Either that, or the text was so stilted they wouldn’t be able to comprehend it no matter how fast they read it!)

It turns out that I was partly right.

When you understand the Simple View of Reading , you know that reading comprehension is the product of decoding ability AND language comprehension. Students must become proficient decoders and understand the language to become fluent. Fluency is the bridge between phonics and comprehension.

When kids are first learning to read, decoding takes a lot of mental energy. As students become more fluent, their brains are freed up for comprehension.

But that doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t make sense of the decodable text that they read!

I hired a custom illustrator for these books because I wanted the full story to be available through the pictures. (After all, an author can only include so many words when kids only know a few letter sounds.)

Don’t get me wrong – students don’t need the pictures to read these books – but the pictures themselves provide opportunities for predicting, questioning, inferring, and other higher level skills.

Each book comes with a set of low and high level comprehension questions on the final page.

Just check out this flip book to see the first book in action!

What’s included in the full set?

The free books below are all you truly need to get started. But you’ll be blown away by the supplementary materials, as pictured below.

short a vowel stories free

When you purchase the complete set of level 1 books with accompanying resources, you will receive:

  • Each book in multiple printing formats ( each includes black and white )
  • A single-page lesson plan for each book with introductory activities and tips for reading the book with students
  • Blending lines that give decoding practice before reading
  • A cut-and-paste retelling activity so students can retell the story using the pictures
  • A dictation exercise so students connect letter-sound knowledge to spelling
  • Each book on a single page with just one picture; use for partner reading and assessment at the end of the week!

Set 1a: Consonants, Short Vowels & Digraphs

Click on each book to get it for free! You’ll see a pop-up to enter your name and email address so the book comes right to your inbox.

You’ll also see a special offer to get the full set with supplementary materials (as described above).

P.S. Some people would rather not enter their email address for each book. We have a solution for that!

Don’t want to enter your email address for each book? Purchase here!

short a vowel stories free

Decodable Books – Set 1a: Consonants, Short Vowels, & Digraphs

Get all 16 books in multiple versions … plus lesson plans, blending lines, dictation, and more!

short a vowel stories free

Set 1b: FLOSS Rule, Blends, ng/nk, and more!

short a vowel stories free

Decodable Books – Set 1b: FLOSS Rule, Blends, ng/nk,and more!

Get all 12 books in multiple versions … plus lesson plans, blending lines, dictation, and more!

short a vowel stories free

Set 2: Vowel Teams, R-Controlled Vowels, and more

Click on each book to get it for free! You’ll see a pop-up to enter your name and email address so the book comes right to your inbox. You’ll also see a special offer to get the full set with supplementary materials (as described above).

short a vowel stories free

Decodable Books – Set 2: Vowel Teams, R-Controlled Vowels & More

Get all 18 books in multiple versions … plus lesson plans, blending lines, dictation, and more!

short a vowel stories free

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!

short a vowel stories free

You May Also Enjoy These Episodes:

short a vowel stories free

Reader Interactions

106 comments.

December 19, 2023 at 2:39 am

Thank you for free access and some free downloadable books.

Heather Groth, Customer Support

December 19, 2023 at 8:04 am

You’re welcome, Vicktory!

December 18, 2023 at 7:03 pm

December 19, 2023 at 8:05 am

We hope that you and your students enjoy them, Juliet!

Luana Holzer

June 20, 2023 at 9:58 am

Dear Anna! I am a Reading Simplified tutor and your Decodable readers and activity set 1a and 1b are the favorites. I can’t wait until level 2 is released. Everything you do is quality; thank you for sharing your knowledge. I love your podcasts too! Again, thank you! Blessings to you and your family, Luana

Anna Geiger

June 20, 2023 at 7:23 pm

Thank you so much for your kind word, Luana! I’m thrilled that you can use my decodable books alongside Reading simplified!

Janet Beatrice

October 12, 2023 at 9:55 am

It’s great to know that, Luana. I’m a Reading Simplified tutor as well, and it’s good to find decodables we can use with our lessons.

August 7, 2023 at 7:35 am

Liana I agree 100%! My students love these books.

Katelyn Leach

November 29, 2023 at 7:39 am

Yes! I completely agree! When will level 2 come out? I’m looking for great decodables for the CVCe patterns. Thanks!

November 29, 2023 at 4:53 pm

We are close, Katelyn! Rossy has to finish the pictures for two more books. Then Set 2 (18 books) will be ready!

December 18, 2023 at 1:23 pm

Hi! Is there a way to purchase all of your decodable books in one bundle? Thanks!

December 18, 2023 at 2:28 pm

Great question! After we finish the final set we will be bundling them together. We hope to have that done in the next year!

June 8, 2023 at 11:51 pm

Is there a way to purchase the entire set, or do I need to purchase set 1a and 1b separately? I am also interested in a set for long vowels, is that the next set that will be released? Thank you!

June 9, 2023 at 6:02 pm

Great questions, Jessica! Set 1a and Set 1b are sold separately. Our next set, Set 2, will include magic e words, long vowels, and r-controlled vowels. The first six books of that set are completed already, and we’ve been releasing each new book into our membership website, The Measured Mom Plus, as they are finished!

June 15, 2023 at 12:40 am

Thank you! Will the books from Set 2 only be available to members, or will they be available on the Measured Mom website?

June 15, 2023 at 3:06 pm

We will add them to the website once the whole set is complete – hopefully sometime in the fall!

Allie Rusch

November 29, 2023 at 10:12 am

Hello! I have been patiently waiting for set 2 to come out for purchase. Any update on when it will be available for non members? I am a homeschool mom and this is an invaluable resource for my learner!

Abby Wilson

April 23, 2023 at 11:23 am

Thank you so much for access to these. I love your products. I teach 4-5-6 and have a 6 year old. I’m understanding the love for phonics and use for decodable books. I’m also understanding when kids rely on memory reading as they get older (4-5-6th grades) they do not have the tools that phonics provides. Thank you again. 🙂

April 23, 2023 at 3:48 pm

Well said, Abby!

May 28, 2023 at 1:38 am

Well done Abby, how is your 4-5-6 composite going? I have 3-4-5 and have downloaded these to use with a year 4 child with no phonics awareness at all alongside my own children who are 6 and 7. Such great resources to have. Thankyou for providing them FREE <3

April 9, 2023 at 12:09 pm

I entered my name and email on each individual decidable book a couple of hours ago and I haven’t gotten anything in my email or my Spam folder.

April 10, 2023 at 4:15 pm

Hi Stacy! Our system shows that each of those books were emailed out to you, but they may have been delayed a bit. Did you receive each of those emails? If not, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll continue to look into this for you!

April 6, 2023 at 5:46 pm

April 4, 2023 at 1:43 pm

These decodable books are by far the best on the market! The stories are engaging, not the least bit contrived and the pictures are excellent! My struggling readers treasure these books and even my very advanced readers enjoy them! This set, along with the nonfiction set has made it affordable and easy to make my classroom library better aligned with SOR! Thank you, Anna and Rossy! Keep them coming!!

April 4, 2023 at 6:55 pm

We LOVE to hear this! Thanks so much for this feedback – I shared it with Rossy!

March 30, 2023 at 10:49 am

I was just curious how long it took to receive our free decodable books 🙂

Not sure if I missed a step or not.

March 30, 2023 at 12:43 pm

You should always receive the books within a few minutes after signing up for them. It looks like our system tried to send out each of the books to you, but all of those emails were bounced back to us. Sometimes this happens when an inbox is full, or if an email has strict security settings that block outside links from coming through.

If that’s not the case, you may find better success trying to sign up for the books with a different email address!

Laurie Whitener

March 23, 2023 at 8:00 pm

Thank you for access to your books! I have one copy of the reader It is a Pet, but cannot figure out where I got it. Will you please help me locate it.

March 23, 2023 at 8:12 pm

Hi Laurie! That’s the title of our sight word book for the word, a. You can find it (and all of our other free sight word books) at this link, https://www.themeasuredmom.com/free-sight-word-books/ .

Cassandra Wadley

December 16, 2022 at 9:16 am

My kids love the decodable books. Will there be another set coming out soon?

December 16, 2022 at 11:44 am

We’re so glad they love them, Cassandra! Set 1b just released in November, and we hope that the completed next set will be ready in the fall of 2023. Members of The Measured Mom Plus get access to each new book as it is finished!

November 7, 2022 at 10:11 pm

Dear Anna, Thank you as always for the fabulous and most generous resources that you share.

November 8, 2022 at 6:38 am

You’re welcome!

November 7, 2022 at 5:03 am

Dear Ms. Geiger, Thank you so so much for sharing so many useful worksheets, books and other teaching materials you created. They really help a lot in teaching English and bring children so much fun learning the language. I’ve purchased all these books! Thank you again for what you’ve been doing.

November 7, 2022 at 7:44 am

You’re so welcome, Catherine! Thank you for such a wonderful comment!

August 22, 2022 at 5:48 pm

This is so generous!! The stories are so rich, and the illustrations complement the words perfectly. I can’t wait to show these to my students 🙂

August 24, 2022 at 12:47 pm

We hope they love them just as much as we do!

Lois Tschaepe

August 5, 2022 at 3:01 pm

Ten years ago I taught my 4 year old (then) triplet grandsons how to read using your program. They are now 14 years old and A students. I thought I was done until my son fell in love with a women and her 4 year old daughter. Here I am again, back on your website and getting ready to download those wonderful books I used with my boys!

June 10, 2022 at 4:19 pm

Do you have more decodables? I teach first grade and many of my students need decodables with long vowels. Thank you!

June 11, 2022 at 9:49 pm

Hello Jenni! We are currently working on the next set of these! We hope to have Set 2 completed by late fall (although as each book is finished, we are releasing them to members of The Measured Mom Plus). A set containing long vowel teams is in the plan, but won’t be completed until next year.

April 4, 2022 at 5:07 pm

These are amazing! Do you have a Set 2 or will you be working on publishing more sets?

April 4, 2022 at 8:20 pm

Thank you, Kara! We are currently working on Set 2!

February 18, 2022 at 1:13 pm

Thank you for sharing your wisdom and the resources that you provide for educators in need of guidance and support. You have become the go to expert that I seek as I embark on this new chapter in my life. You are greatly appreciated. Thanks again

February 20, 2022 at 7:47 am

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging comment, Gail! I love to study and share, and I’m so glad you’re along for the ride! Have a wonderful week!

February 16, 2022 at 1:56 pm

I purchased the books. I didn’t get a chance to download them. How do I find them?

February 16, 2022 at 8:22 pm

Hi Darci! Look for an email from our support team about this!

Stephanie Brandon

February 16, 2022 at 9:24 am

I love these and can’t wait to use them with my little one, but I can’t seem to get them all to download. Books 1, 8, 11, 12, 14, and 15 don’t seem to work right.

February 16, 2022 at 1:20 pm

Hi Stephanie! Did you check your spam folder to see if they were redirected into there by mistake? If you can’t find them there, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!

Akurut Tina

February 16, 2022 at 3:05 pm

Hello!! I’m Tina!,a Ugandan(East African Kindergarten Teacher) and i just must say,Your resources are always an answered prayer!!..May God Spoil you for me!!.

Lots of Love!!.

February 20, 2022 at 12:28 pm

Thank you, Tina! May God continue to bless you and your students!

February 16, 2022 at 6:28 am

Hi Anna. I just wanted to thank you for this amazing free books you’ve made available for free. I am a homeschooling mum of three from South Africa. For my first kiddo I got a range of phonics and early readers from my local library. Unfortunately after Covid hit the library never reopened and I have been looking around for reasonably priced readers like these for a while. But books are very expensive. And books like these that the kids are just going to use for a short bit before moving on to more complex readers just seemed like a waste to spend so much money on. They are amazingly beautiful and soo professional! Thank you very much. my daughter is so excited she insisted I print all right now so she can get reading! May you always be blessed by the Almighty Thanks again

February 16, 2022 at 6:54 am

I’m so sorry to hear that your library didn’t reopen, Khadeeja! And I’m so glad that these books will work for your daughter. Hugs to you!

February 15, 2022 at 10:31 pm

I just purchased your $9 phonics decodeable readers pack. It hasn’t come through…. Does it usually come through straight away? Or do I just need to be patient? 😆

February 16, 2022 at 6:53 am

Hi Melissa! Please send an email to hello(at)themeasuredmom(dot)com and we’ll take care of you! (It should have come right away.)

February 15, 2022 at 5:59 pm

Wow! It’s as though you have read my mind! Very much appreciated! Yours is always the site I share when ever I talk with parents or colleagues about great resources. You spoil us so!! Many thanks!

February 16, 2022 at 6:52 am

Thank you so much, Kaily – your comment made my day! Have a great rest of your week!

February 15, 2022 at 10:26 am

Hello Anna, Thanks so much for these decodable books. My son is an emergent reader and I’m sure he will love these.

February 15, 2022 at 1:29 pm

I hope he enjoys them as much as we do, Gaury!

December 22, 2022 at 11:34 pm

I can’t seem to get the link to the free set of books. I’m on your email list but I only received the activities.

December 23, 2022 at 2:04 pm

I sent you an email about this, Sharon!

Rebekah Robinson

February 16, 2022 at 2:17 pm

I love 💕 the decoderable books you all created. Sitting long hours Infront of the computer then to share it, this is truly remarkable. When I’m using the books I’ll sure take a video and send it to you. Rebekah Robinson from Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹.😊

February 16, 2022 at 8:27 pm

That would be wonderful, Rebekah! We’re so glad that they will be useful for you!

February 15, 2022 at 9:47 am

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful creations! I am excited about having them to use with future grandchildren as well as if I go back into a classroom setting. I have told many teachers that I work with in coaching about your amazing site. Thank you again!

February 15, 2022 at 1:28 pm

You’re welcome, Kim! We appreciate you recommending us to the teachers that you coach!

February 14, 2022 at 4:29 pm

Hi Anna, Wow this set is perfect it covers everything in one packet that you can use for a whole week. It is awesome, I used to hunt websites when I was working at the school as an EA, Para Pro teaching reading to kids who struggled. This is exactly the kind of materials I would look for. I usually tried patching it together with all with bits and pieces. Then one day I found you. I no longer work at a school but I use your materials for my preschool grandkids. I am going to keep these books for the two younger princesses (1 and 3 yrs old) so it will be a little while before I need them. I just wanted to thank you. You have helped me to teach my 4 grandsons to read by sharing your materials. They all started kindergarten knowing how to read at kindergarten level. Their teachers were very grateful. I try to send people I know to your website. I don’t know if they have found their way to your blog but I do give them your website. Have a great week. Martha

February 14, 2022 at 5:23 pm

Thank you so much for your very kind feedback, Martha! This means so much to us! Thank you also very for sharing the site. It’s much appreciated! I look forward to hearing about your experience using these books with your granddaughters when the time is right. 🙂

February 14, 2022 at 12:58 pm

I love these, its definitely worth paying for the whole set. The additional activities makes all the difference. I plan on using these as the base for teaching alphabet and phonics by adding just a few alphabet worksheets and activities and then working with the corresponding book. I hope you plan on continuing with a more advanced level. (As an aside a personal preference would have been to get each type in a separate file. Ex. one file of all black and white, another with color and a third with the side staple. Instructions on printing included in the download would also be helpful.)

February 14, 2022 at 1:38 pm

We’re thrilled they’re going to fit so well for your classroom, Sarah! Thank you for your feedback on the files, we normally try to limit the number of files when we can. Be sure to use the clickable links in the table of contents to quickly get to what you need! You can find printing instructions included on page 4 of the purchasable books and resources file and page 2 of the free book downloads. Thank you!

February 14, 2022 at 12:21 pm

Thank you so much, I can’t wait to use these. Can you explain the best way to copy and assemble these decodables?

February 14, 2022 at 7:04 pm

Hi Jen! You can find the printing instructions on page 2 of the free download. If you purchased the full version, the printing instructions are on page 4!

February 14, 2022 at 8:30 am

Thank you so much for these decodables! I appreciate everything you do and you are such a valuable resource on my SOR journey. I cannot wait to share these books with my students!

February 14, 2022 at 9:09 pm

We’re thrilled to hear this, Kel!

February 13, 2022 at 8:58 pm

Yep, that worked! Thanks 🙂

Great! I’m glad it was an easy fix!

February 13, 2022 at 6:14 pm

Hi Anna, I’ve email you but not sure if you received it. LOVE these books! However, when I printed one out, the background around the images was solid black, rather than transparent/white. How do I fix that? Hoping it’s an easy fix! Thanks so much!

February 13, 2022 at 6:18 pm

It is easy, Tara! Just make sure to open and print with the free Adobe Reader. Download the program to your computer, then open it and open the file FROM that program; then print from it as well. Let us know if that doesn’t do the trick! The program you need is the free one on top of this page: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

February 13, 2022 at 3:41 pm

The first book I downloaded said the accompanying lesson plans were $9. Now it says $18. Wondered which it was.

February 13, 2022 at 3:44 pm

HI Jennifer! The $9 is a limited time offer (just for 15 minutes). After that the page reverts to the regular price of $18. I hope that clears it up!

February 13, 2022 at 3:14 pm

Thank you and your team for your time, heart, and dedication to these resources! They are wonderful and greatly appreciated!

February 13, 2022 at 3:34 pm

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Amanda! We really appreciate it!

February 13, 2022 at 3:07 pm

Is this set available on TPT?

February 13, 2022 at 3:08 pm

I have a team member who will be uploading them later this week. 🙂

Thank you very much, Anna! I highly appreciate your work. These books are fantastic!

February 13, 2022 at 3:33 pm

Thank you so much, Marina!

February 13, 2022 at 2:23 pm

These are amazing! We love your sight word books, and these look perfect for my four-year-old!

Yay – I’m so glad these came at the right time for you, Cassie!

February 13, 2022 at 1:45 pm

Thank you so much for this Anna! It’s so, so, so generous of you!

You’re very welcome, Amnah! 🙂

February 13, 2022 at 1:34 pm

Firstly, I would like to commend you on making a change to how you teach reading. As humans, we tend to be creatures of habit. It takes courage, energy and devotion to see things in a different light and to admit that things have changed with the empirical research data. Secondly, I would like to thank you for your hard work on these decodable books! So many kids will benefit!

Thank you so much for your kind words, Erin! We’re so excited to share these books!

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KizPhonics

 Short Stories for Phonics - illustrated

Welcome to our illustrated phonics story page. These stories are great for practicing the short and long vowels. They are very short stories of about 5 to 6 sentences each, which can be easily absorbed by the students. Print out the stories, cut out the illustrations and sentences. Read the story in order and ask the students to rearrange the stories. That is just one idea on how to use them. If your students have been following our Phonics Program , they should be able to read these stories unaided. This is a good test of how much progress they have made. The stories are suitable from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade. Phonics Story Media Player: The media player contains the audio for all stories. Please pause the audio. Let kids attempt to read first before you play the audio. You can print the stories below. 

Stories Based on the Short Vowels 

short a, story

  Stories Based on the Long Vowels 

long a story

Phonics Story Videos

Mouse Cow video

Fox, dog & log

Fox, dog & log video

Bunny & Bug

Bunny & Bug video

Mike Rides a Bike

Mike Rides a Bike video

Ben, Pets & Vet

Ben, Pets & Vet video

Tim, Kitten & Fish

Tim, Kitten & Fish video

Sing King! Sing

Sing King! Sing video

Stacy & Star

Stacy & Star video

Chickens & Fox

Chickens & Fox video

Shane the sheep

Shane the sheep video

Kate & Snake

Kate & Snake video

Pete, Peach & Bees

Pete, Peach & Bees video

Using Phonics Stories and Books to Develop Early Reading Skills

Phonics stories help children learn to read words in entire coherent sentences. Phonics story books usually have a few simple rules that can help children build confidence in reading. A phonics short story can focus on a particular sound or combination of sounds such as a particular short vowel or vowel consonant combinations in word families. Kiz Phonics currently offers 21 short stories to help children build early confidence in reading. It is important you do not start by giving a child complicated text with several unfamiliar phonemic structures. That way, reading can soon been considered a nightmare. Our phonics stories are short and fun for children to read, as they contain a mixture of consonant and vowel sounds aligned with their level of development. We have phonics stories for kindergarten, first grade and second grade which get slightly more challenging as the child develops.

Take the story 'Fox and Dog' focus on the 'O' sound. The story helps children read by focusing on word families 'og', 'op' and 'ox' along with a few high frequency sight words. Decodable phonics stories target specific phonics skills and Kiz Phonics does an excellent job in this domain. But do not stop here. You should also use a variety of books from other phonics publishers. In fact, we recommend having a library of easily accessible phonics books and short stories that kids can reach out and grab at any time.

When children are at the very beginning of their literacy journey, phonics books should be around to help them develop print awareness. Books can be embedded with toys to gently nudge children towards reading. Such an approach creates a positive attitude towards books which leads to lifelong learning. The early experiences of a child stays with them through adulthood and forms a core part of their personality and attitudes.

In sum, phonics stories and literacy books are a fun way to encourage children to learn to read. Stories that entertain and educate will lead to the development of early reading comprehension skills. Comprehension is the next step after learning to read. At the very beginning it is more important that children sound out sentences. As they get more confident we can test comprehension.

I Want Hard Copies of this Program (Sold Out)

You may choose to instead buy the contents of this website as books and CDs. In that case, you can buy sets of our course from the store. Click on a set to purchase all the courseware. Please note that the contents of the hard copies are the same as the online materials, but without updates. If you would like both online access and books, contact us for discounts.

Pre-K & Kindergarten Books

Phonics set 1

Want hard copies of our products? No problem. You may order our  phonics activity books  and more from our store - for Preschool & Kindergarten. Each set comes with CDs and the playing card sets and board game.

1st & 2nd Grade Books

phonics set 2

Want hard copies of our products? No problem. You may order our  phonics activity books  and more from our store - For 1st Grade & 2nd Grade. Each set comes with CDs and the playing card sets and board game.

Board Games & Playing Card Sets

phonics board games

The teaching set is complete with board games and phonemic cards. we have grapheme cards, phoneme cards, alphabet cards which can all be used with the board game for fun phonics learning.

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short a vowel stories free

Mercy for Marthas

short a vowel stories free

Teaching Your Child to Read with Short Vowel Stories… and a free give-away!

When my oldest was a kindergartener, I wrote some super short stories to help her learn to read. I then used them to teach all my other kids to read, along with a variety of other phonics books. Variety is the spice of life, so it is good to give your emerging readers a mixture of books  with which they can learn to read.

About a year ago one of my old college roommates, Colette, who is now homeschooling, began using these stories with her boys. She liked them so much that she asked if she could publish them. Who would say no to that? So she hired an illustrator, a talented young lady who is homeschooled, and published the first of the readers:

51EB5866lXL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Here are some excerpts:

short vowel stories sample1.jpg

Short word lists. Short stories. A combination of sight words and phonetic words.  And *really* cute illustrations.  All this makes Short Vowel Stories a great first reader for young beginners or children with short attention spans.

7/5/22 UPDATE: A new edition of this book is now available. I adapted this book for my son with Down Syndrome. The font is larger and there is double spacing between the words. There are color pictures that accompany most of the words in the word lists. Children can read the words and then find the matching pictures.

You can look inside this book and purchase Short Vowel Stories , 2nd Edition at Amazon.

But that’s not all. Colette then made a workbook .  For each story in the reader, the student traces the words from the word list. (One column per day).

short vowel stories workbook sample1.jpg

There are also pages for making words with word families and for spelling dictation:

short vowel stories workbook sample 3.jpg

A very gentle introduction to basic grammar is included:

short vowel stories workbook sample 5.jpg

The workbook does a great job of combining very basic reading, handwriting, spelling, and grammar. THANK YOU, COLETTE!

I have three copies of   Short Vowel Stories   to give away. Leave a short comment stating for whom you would use the book,  for example:  your 5-year-old son, your kindergartener, your niece, nephew, grandchild, neighbor’s dog, etc. (U.S. residents only, please). In a week or two, I’ll close the draw and contact the winners by replying to their comments.

If you have an emerging reader, check out these posts on teaching your child to read:

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 1

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 2

The Three Keys to Teaching Your Child to Read – Part 3

May God bless your upcoming school year!

UPDATE: Once your child has complete Short Vowel Stories , check out the two books that follow:

Teach Me to Read Duets, Book 1

Teach Me to Read Duets, Book 2

Share this:

7 thoughts on “ teaching your child to read with short vowel stories… and a free give-away ”.

I’d love to get our two year old started with this! He loves to read!

Hi Claire! I’d be glad to send you a copy. Please email me your address and I’ll send you a copy. If I may, I’d like to suggest that you wait until your two year old is a little older (say 4 or 5) before teaching him to read. I bet he has your husband’s brilliant brains. But I do think that reading real children’s literature with rich vocabularies, wonderful prose (or poetry), and beautiful illustrations would be far more meaningful, enjoyable, and educational than trying to decode “the fat cat sat”. Give him a big hug for me!

OH! PICK ME! These looks AMAZING!!! I’d LOVE to use these with my 3.5 year old girl, who is just starting to sound out letter sounds 🙂 Her memorization skills are impressive, but as a first-time mom, I’m just embarking on the journey of learning how to teach her to read. All solid help is appreciated!

Hi Amy! I will be glad to send you a copy! Please email me your address and I will send one out to you.

Hi Marylou, These books are wonderful. Having taught reading for several years ( never to very young children) I can say that these books are excellent and I am sure they are very appealing to young children. The illustrations are also terrific. Dad

These are great! My 4-year-old fell in love with phonics over the summer (due to the All About Spelling work with his siblings – thank you for your recommendation in another blog post – and the Letter Factory dvd). I’d love to be able to teach him how to actually read!

Hello! If you send me your mailing address, I’ll put one in the mail for your 4-year old. Have a blessed school year!

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short a vowel stories free

Phonics Short Vowel Worksheets. Reading comprehension passages and activities .

Fun and engaging short vowel comprehension activities and worksheets for your kindergarten and first grade students.  It covers different skills including phonics, fluency, comprehension and story sequencing. It is perfect for kindergarten literacy centers, morning working and homework.

This pack includes 29 short vowel stories . And there are 2 worksheets for each short vowel story with different activities, read and color, trace and write, cut and paste etc. 

Passages include:

Short a sound ab- Crab in the lab ad- Tad is bad am- Pam ag- Dag an- Stan’s plan ap- Pad’s cap and map at– Cat and rat

Short e sound ed,eb- Ned eg- Meg can beg en- Ben and Jen et- Ann the vet an- Stan’s plan ap- Pad’s cap and map at– Cat and rat

Short i sound ig- The big pig it- Prit’s kit in- Min needs a bin id- Sid’s lid ip- I slip when I sip ib,im- Baby brother, Tim ix– Max can mix and fix

Short o sound ob- Bob’s cob od- Todd and Rodd og- Mom jogs op- Hop!Hop!Hop! ot- Where is my pot? an- Stan’s plan ap- Pad’s cap and map at– Cat and rat

Short u sound ub- My little cub ug- Doug the bug up,ud- Pup and bud um- I love my mum un- My friend likes to run ux, ut- Buzz

Let’s have a peek at the activities below.

short a vowel stories free

This Reading Mama

FREE Short Vowel Phonics Reader {from Learn to Read}

By thisreadingmama Leave a Comment

Here the are: the LAST Learn to Read freebies! I can’t believe it. Today, I’m sharing a Short Vowel Phonics Reader and a couple of activities to go with it from Unit 6 .

If you’re new to Learn to Read , be sure and read our intro . You can also see all the freebies I’ve shared here . And don’t forget, you can purchase the entire bundle at a great price with extra goodies included!

FREE Short Vowel Phonics Reader and Activities from Learn to Read - This Reading Mama

*This post contains affiliate links. **The free download link can be found towards the end of this post. Just click on the teal download button.

Short Vowel Phonics Reader & Activities

In this free download, you’ll find a free reader, I Must Get , which features two new sight words { must  and new } and LOADS of short vowel CVC words, as you can see in the image below.

lots of short vowel words included in free short vowel phonics reader

To make the book work for you, be sure to open the file with the free, updated Adobe Reader . Print the book pages front to back, making sure you check “flip on the short side.” If you miss this step, the pages will be upside down. Staple with a long-arm stapler and your book is ready!

In this free pack, there is also short vowel spin & spell page, sight word rainbow roll & write for { must  and new }, and a Roll, Read, & Find page. I am sharing the freebies before my Kindergartner has had a chance to try them out. When we do, I’ll be sure to post pictures just like I have with all the other sets!

Learn to Read Short Vowel Review {Unit 6} 350 - This Reading Mama

Have you seen the Learn to Read Bundle?

Learn to Read BUNDLE Pack 350- This Reading Mama

Read more HERE.

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short a vowel stories free

short a vowel stories free

Short Vowels Story – “Jan and Ted”

short a vowel stories free

A short story to practice reading the short vowel sounds.

Download lesson as pdf

short vowels story 1

Related Posts

short a vowel stories free

Short Vowels (mixed) – Word List and Sentences

short a vowel stories free

Short u – Rhyming Words

short a vowel stories free

Short o – Rhyming Words

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GennaRose Nethercott's short stories expose the monstrosity of human longing

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Years ago, author GennaRose Nethercott promised herself she would sit at a cafe every morning and come up with three new creatures — beasts inspired by medieval bestiaries that combined scientific record with moral folk tales. The result, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart , is a collection of short stories that show the magical yet spooky nature of human affection. In today's episode, Nethercott speaks with NPR's Elissa Nadworny about some of the monsters she came up with, and why she cherishes writing about darkness.

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GennaRose Nethercott on her short story collection 'Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart'

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Man enters Michigan jail lobby with knife, tries breaking into ATM

  • Published: Feb. 14, 2024, 10:58 a.m.

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The Calhoun County Jail is located in the city of Battle Creek. The facility has space for more than 600 inmates and detainees. (MLive file photo | Mark Bugnaski) Kalamazoo Gazette

BATTLE CREEK, MI -- A man with a knife was locked in the lobby of the county jail and subsequently arrested after he tried breaking into an ATM, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office reports.

At 6:22 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, a 26-year-old Battle Creek man entered the bond lobby of the Calhoun County Jail while holding a knife in his hand, police said in a news release.

He began pounding on the door to the interior of the jail. Corrections deputies called for backup when they noticed the man had a knife, police said.

The man started to break into the ATM located in the lobby area, police said.

Corrections deputies electronically locked the exterior door, trapping the man inside.

Battle Creek Police Department officers made contact with the man from outside the building. He surrendered and was escorted into the jail, police said.

Police have not identified the man and did not disclose any possible charges against him.

Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley said corrections staff did “an excellent job handling the situation” and coordinating with Battle Creek police to resolve the incident safely.

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short a vowel stories free

Short Vowel Books that Develop Reading Skills

posted on May 31, 2018

Short i Book

In this post, I discuss:

  • The revised short vowel series

How to use the short vowel series

  • Why decodable books develop valuable skills
  • Why K-2 matters more than we think

Short vowel books that foster success

When I started a reading intervention service, I was disheartened to find very few systematic decodable books for struggling readers. Thus, I decided to create my own. I created the short vowel books first. In the series, kids learn one short vowel at a time. I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to go back and revise the short vowel series!

Kids learn to read short vowel words first. Thus, a beginning kindergartner first learns a_ as in apple and is prompted to read words like cat, man, rag, tad…etc. In the short vowel books, I introduce the vowels in the following order:

a_ as in apple         (as in mat, cat, map)

i_ as in itch              (as in sit, Tim, win)

o_ as in octopus     (as in hop, pot, mop)

u_ as in umbrella   (as in cut, hum, run)

e_ as in elephant   (as in met, men, wet)

When a child reads a continuous sound like /s/, he should stretch out the sound for a long time: ssssss. When a child reads a stop sound like /d/, he should avoid saying “duh,” as he needs to clip off the “uh.” The books are extensive and allow kids to develop fluency.

I was quite embarrassed by the pictures in the first iteration, and I’m excited that I can offer short vowel books with higher quality pictures.

For those who are waiting, I’m working on getting out the long vowel series next.

Why use decodable books?

Decodable books contain phonics sounds that the student has already learned. For example, a child that has learned a_ as in apple can read a sentence like the following: Sam sat on the mat. Decodable books allow kids to practice and master phonics sounds. As a result, kids can build decoding skills.

Additionally, a child with decoding skills has the ability to read words he’s never before seen in print. This includes words the child may have never heard . With decoding skills, kids can even read words that aren’t in their lexicon. It is truly remarkable that decoding skills allow kids to read uncommon words like sap , wade and bleak. How does a child read such uncommon words? He breaks the code sound-by-sound.

Decodable books build transferable skills

As if being guessable weren’t useless enough, the student is often told to read the book 3x in a row. Thus the child memorizes the book as well. On these books, kids begin to think reading is about guessing and memorization. But by definition, reading is the opposite. If you can only read “apple” in that one book about Johnny Appleseed, you can’t read “apple” at all. You’ve just memorized it’s location in one book, and will fail to recognize “apple” elsewhere, including in grandma’s apple pie recipe.

Intuitively, we know reading skills are transferable. We can read “heterogeneous” when it’s completely out of context. We can read all words out of context, including: refreshing, aromatic, agapanthus. If someone couldn’t read these words out of context, we’d call them functionally illiterate.

Reading skills are by definition transferable

So why in the world do we teach kids to memorize guessable books? Imagine if you could only read “stop” in the context of a stop sign or “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” in Romeo and Juliet? You’d fail to recognize the words in this post. You couldn’t read anything new. You’d be a sham reader. In essence, kids who practice with guessable books, begin to realize their skills aren’t transferable. Ask them to read something else at their grade-level and they’ll blush, full well knowing they can’t.

We know we can read when we can pick up any book anywhere and decode the words. Phonics books put kids on the path to independent reading. They allow kids to develop transferable skills. Guessable books put many kids on the path of illiteracy.

Short vowel books set kids on the proper track. Kids are taught to analyze words. In the short vowel story free printable, kids can decode words sound-by-sound. Soon, even kids that struggle to learn to read, will begin transferring their skills to the real world.

K-2 matters more than we think

K-2 matters— tremendously . Contrary to popular thinking, k-2 is not about socializing kids into school, teaching them to sit in chairs, hold a pencil and stand in line. K-2 really is about teaching kids to read and spell.

K-2 are among the most important educational years of life. In his intriguing book, The Case Against Education , Bryan Caplan, an economist, calls into question the value of later educational years. While we may think trigonometry and history are when kids get a real education, it turns out, skills outside of literacy and numeracy may not provide economically valuable job skills.

Learning to read and write properly goes back to K-2. Cunningham and Stanovich (1998) assert, “Early success at reading acquisition is one of the keys that unlocks a lifetime of reading habits.” They site numerous studies that show that reading is a feedback loop—those who learn word recognition skills early read more, making them even better readers. In contrast, those who aren’t taught word recognition skills read less, making them even worse readers.

Cunningham and Stanovich (1998) found that first grade word recognition skills predicted eleventh grade reading volume. They write, “This is a stunning finding because it means that students who get off to a fast start in reading are more likely to read more over the years (p. 7).”

Short vowel books allow kids to develop word recognition skills. When those skills transfer to the real world, kids are delighted. They may want to read more. This lets them enter that coveted positive feedback loop—they get off to a good start in reading, and then they read more over their lifetimes.

References:

Caplan, Bryan. (2018) The Case Against Education. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Cunningham, Anne E. & Stanovich, Keith E. (1998) What Reading Does for the Mind . American Educator/American Federation of Teachers.

Wiblin, Robert. (Producer). (2018, May 22). Bryan Caplan thinks education is mostly pointless showing off. We test the strength of his case. [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/bryan-caplan-case-for-and-against-education/

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Phonics Books With a Proven Approach

Reading Elephant phonics books are based on proven approaches and sound research. Furthermore, their sequential, progressive nature eases kids from easy to more challenging reading territory. Kids can have fun with phonics by starting simple and moving methodically toward complex. The gradual progression of the stories allows students to gain confidence. In addition, they build fluency and become more precise readers.

Reading Elephant printable books are easy to use. Simply move through the sets and watch your student master each new phonics sound. In each set, there are numerous stories that allow kids to gain fluency.

Each printable book includes the set number and focus sound, allowing the teacher to easily navigate the product.

Our books are appropriate for kindergarten through second grade, but preschoolers can also learn from the simpler ones. The phonics stories are meant to engage and entertain, all while establishing fundamental building blocks for a bright reading future.

Thank you for visiting Reading Elephant!

2024 Buffalo Bills free agents: Targets, NFL draft needs and more as free agency nears

short a vowel stories free

For the third time in four years, the Buffalo Bills fell short of the Super Bowl because of the Kansas City Chiefs .

Following their elimination from the playoffs, the Bills face some tough roster decisions as they enter the offseason. More than half of the 21 players set to hit unrestricted free agency in one month played at least 30% of snaps this past season, according to Over the Cap , including No. 2 wide receiver Gabe Davis . In addition, Buffalo sits at 29th in the NFL in free cap space.

The Bills have a great quarterback in Josh Allen , a great No. 1 receiver in Stefon Diggs and solid playmakers elsewhere on the roster, but the 2024 season may be a challenge. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is set to return healthy next season, and the Dolphins nearly unseated Buffalo from another division title this year.

Here's everything to know about the Bills' situation entering the offseason.

NFL free agency 2024: Ranking top 25 players: Chiefs' Chris Jones stands above rest

All things Bills: Latest Buffalo Bills news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

2024 Buffalo Bills free agents

Unrestricted free agents.

In order of percentage of snaps played, per Over the Cap:

  • WR Gabe Davis
  • S Micah Hyde
  • EDGE Leonard Floyd
  • LB Tyrel Dodson
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • S Taylor Rapp
  • IDL Jordan Phillips
  • EDGE A.J. Epenesa
  • IDL Tim Settle
  • WR Trent Sherfield
  • RB Latavius Murray
  • EDGE Shaq Lawson
  • IDL DaQuan Jones
  • IDL Linval Joseph
  • IDL Poona Ford
  • CB Cameron Lewis
  • IOL David Edwards
  • RB Ty Johnson
  • RB Damien Harris
  • QB Kyle Allen
  • LB Tyler Matakevich

Restricted/exclusive rights free agents

  • TE Quintin Morris

Potential Bills NFL Draft targets

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY : Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Middlehurst-Schwartz writes, "Dogged by drops in key spots, cap-strapped Buffalo has to look to the draft if it wants to reshape its receiving corps. More steady than explosive, Coleman could be just what Josh Allen needs."

Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus : Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

Sikkema writes, "With Gabe Davis a pending free agent, the Bills will need to address their outside receiver position. They have Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid to be productive players in the slot, but they need a vertical threat."

Garrett Podell, CBS Sports : Jer'Zhan Newton, IDL, Illinois

Podell writes, "Buffalo will always have Kansas City in mind when building out their roster, and having a stout defensive tackle next to Ed Oliver who also has pass rush chops is critical for the Bills when they face Patrick Mahomes again."

Chad Reuter, NFL.com : Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA (trade up to pick 26)

Reuter writes, "The Bills send a fourth-round pick to the Buccaneers to select Latu, an edge rusher that they'll need if free agency wipes out the team's depth."

Damian Parson, The Draft Network : Brian Thomas, Jr., WR, LSU

Parson writes, "Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen need another receiving threat in Buffalo. Brian Thomas Jr. has excellent long speed and incredible ball skills at the catch point."

When does NFL free agency begin?

March 11: The NFL's legal tampering period begins at noon ET. According to the NFL's official operations website , this is when teams are allowed to begin negotiating contracts with players that are set to become free agents.

March 13: NFL free agency officially begins at 4 p.m. ET. All contracts that end after the 2023 season expire, and teams and players are allowed to execute new contracts. This includes deals agreed to during the tampering period becoming official.

When is the 2024 NFL Draft?

Where: Campus Marius Park at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan

When: April 25-27, 2024

Cable TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network

Streaming : NFL+; ESPN+; fuboTV

How to watch: Catch this year's NFL Draft with a Fubo subscription

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Michigan has new gun laws on the way, gun safety advocates want to see more

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When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law gun safety measures following the shooting at Michigan State University last year, many gun safety advocates applauded the passage of proposals that previously stalled under Republican leadership. But those celebrations occurred against a backdrop of urgent calls for more.

Before the MSU shooting, Whitmer called on lawmakers to send legislation her way to enact background checks for all gun purchases, firearm storage requirements to keep guns out of the hands of children and a red flag law allowing courts to order the temporary removal of guns from those who pose an imminent risk to themselves or others.

Two months after the MSU shooting, Whitmer signed into law the universal background checks and safe storage requirements. And about a month after that, she approved legislation to temporarily take away guns from those at risk of endangering themselves or others, marking the culmination of her call for the trio of gun safety measures. Those new laws take effect this week.

Tijuana Morris, a 68-year-old retired police officer from Detroit, was among the gun safety advocates who stood behind Whitmer and lawmakers at the red flag law bill signing ceremony last year, holding a sign that said "BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS NOW!" She welcomed the new gun safety laws while expressing hope for additional action. "This is just the beginning," she told the Free Press at the time.

After the event, Whitmer expressed openness to other efforts to curb gun violence. "I don't think the conversation's over," she said. This year, Whitmer's office pointed to dedicated funding for local law enforcement in the governor's proposal for the next state budget when asked about the specific gun safety measures Whitmer wants to see on her desk. "We've gotten Michigan on the right side of history to protect people from gun violence, but there's more work to do to make sure Michiganders feel safe in their communities," wrote Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy in an email.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Gun safety advocates hope lawmakers who heralded the legislation passed last year will remain focused on ways to curb gun violence, and Democratic lawmakers pushing for additional action on gun safety say they plan to home in on a few legislative priorities this year. But it's unclear which measures Whitmer and Democratic legislative leaders want to see passed.

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"This is a crisis that must be tackled from all angles, and we will continue to work with police, medical professionals, teachers, mental health experts, parents, and anyone committed to making our state a safer place," said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, in a statement to the Free Press.

Amber McCann, spokesperson for House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, forecasts representatives will "continue to introduce and champion additional measures to help keep our residents and communities safe."

Mikah Rector-Brooks, press associate for the youth-led gun safety group March For Our Lives, characterized the new laws in Michigan as an incomplete victory.

"It was truly the bare minimum, and what I've seen lawmakers do in the past and what we really want to avoid is checking a box and moving on," they said. "Not just in Michigan, but all over the country, lawmakers take action after tragedies."

But they shouldn't wait for more people to die to pass laws to prevent gun violence, Rector-Brooks said.  

Advocates have their eyes on a long legislative wish list with many items supported by the group of state lawmakers working on gun safety.  

A long list of priorities on the gun safety agenda

Gun safety advocates see an opening for reducing gun violence in the next state budget. They want to see continued funding for community violence intervention programs such as street outreach focused on those at risk of committing gun violence.

End Gun Violence Michigan’s executive director Ryan Bates said he also wants to see funding for implementing the gun safety legislation recently signed into law such as a public awareness campaign informing Michigan residents how they can petition a court for an "extreme risk protection order" to temporarily remove guns from someone posing an imminent threat to themselves or others. 

Gun safety advocates pointed to legislative actions toward the end of last year as a sign lawmakers intend to take additional action this year.

On a party-line vote last November, Democrats in the state House passed legislation banning the open carry of firearms at polling locations, early voting sites, clerk's offices and ballot drop boxes and a complete prohibition on the possession of firearms at absentee ballot counting centers. The same month, Whitmer signed legislation temporarily banning those with domestic violence convictions from possessing and purchasing firearms and ammunition in Michigan.

"So I do think that they will continue working on this," said Sean Holihan, state legislative director for the gun safety advocacy group Giffords. "And as long as Democrats have the majority, we're going to continue to see progress."

But some gun regulations introduced by Democratic lawmakers have not received a hearing, including bills to raise the purchasing age from 18 to 21, establish a 14-day waiting period between purchasing a firearm and obtaining it and allowing local governments to ban open carry within their borders and create gun-free zones.

State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who introduced the bill enabling local governments to create gun-free zones said that amid the many legislative priorities competing for lawmakers' attention, he's hopeful they'll circle back to gun safety this year. "There is still a fair amount of low-hanging fruit available," Irwin said.

While those who introduced those bills hope to see action soon, other gun-related bills may still emerge this legislative session.

State Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, who chairs the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus, outlined legislation in the pipeline targeting "ghost guns," homemade firearms that lack serial numbers, making them impossible to track.

She also discussed ensuring gun buyback programs result in the complete destruction of the firearms. A New York Times investigation found that Michigan State Police was the largest client of a company that destroys part of the firearms from law enforcement agencies while profiting off online sales of the remaining parts. Michigan State Police subsequently halted its contract with the company.

Brabec said the firearm safety caucus she leads has also discussed Michigan's "stand your ground" law that allows the use of deadly force any place someone has the legal right to be without imposing any "duty to retreat" so long as the person using such force is not committing a crime at the time and believes the use of force will prevent imminent death, bodily harm or sexual assault.

"That we still have that on the books, is problematic," said Brabec.

Brabec said eliminating the liability protection for firearm manufacturers and dealers also tops the list of her caucus' legislative priorities. During a committee hearing last year, Democratic lawmakers amended the safe storage legislation to include a removal of the immunity protection. But they later backtracked. Brabec listed changing Michigan's liability law among her caucus’ legislative priorities this year.

The caucus Brabec leads is open to all state House representatives from both parties, but its members only include Democrats, she said. Republicans, for their part, have backed legislation aimed at improving school safety and mental health support but have largely opposed new gun restrictions.

A potentially short window to take action on gun safety measures

Democratic lawmakers who want to continue the momentum on gun safety action cited the loss of a voting majority in the state House as a temporary obstacle. Special elections in April will decide who will fill two vacant seats in solidly Democratic districts, but for now the House is split 54-54.

State Rep. Penelope Tsnernoglou D-East Lansing, whose bill to raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms has yet to receive a hearing, said she feels a sense of urgency.

"I think that things are moving slowly. They are moving slowly forward which sometimes is the case with new laws. My personal preference would be to move forward more quickly. But I don't really personally have the ability to move these things any faster than they are," she said.

She said additional legislative action on gun safety will depend on the outcome of the November election this year, which will determine whether Democrats keep control of the state House in 2025.

Democrats' universal background check and red flag law bills passed on party-line votes, but some Republicans in the state House supported the firearm storage requirements. If new gun regulations face united GOP opposition, Democrats could potentially have until the end of 2024 to pass them before Republicans flip control of the state House.

"It's a tight window," said Rector-Brooks from March For Our Lives.

Some see action on gun safety as a winning issue in an election year, potentially inspiring additional legislative movement on new gun laws this year.

"I think gun violence prevention is a winning political issue," said Tanya Schardt, senior director of state and federal policy for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "The policies work and we know that."

State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, who is currently working to move her legislation to establish a waiting period in Michigan said voters are clamoring for lawmakers to do more to tackle gun violence.

"This is a public health crisis, and I believe that many people in our community — including scores of people who are themselves responsible gun owners — believe that we can take more steps forward," she said.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen .

IMAGES

  1. Short Vowels Story

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  2. Short Vowel Stories EASY by Teaching Simply

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  3. Short Vowel Stories by Teach K to 2

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  4. Short Vowel Reading Passages

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  5. Short Vowel Story FREE Printable

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  6. Short Vowel Word Families Edition

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VIDEO

  1. Short Vowel A

  2. The English Vowels

  3. Short Vowel Song

  4. Short Vowel Review Aa, Ii, Oo, & Uu

  5. short vowel a _e_i_o_i.... phonics course

  6. Short vowel letter e

COMMENTS

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