Silly Stories for Beginning Readers:
Volume 1
by Michael McClung
Copyright 2011 Michael McClung
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords License Statement
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
NOTE TO PARENTS/TUTORS:
Thank you for choosing the Silly Stories for Beginning Readers series. It has grown out of more than six years of research and experience in teaching phonics and literacy to beginning readers and pre-readers.
In order for your beginning reader to get the most from this series, it is important that they have a firm grasp of the common letter sounds, and that they are able to blend at least three common sounds to make a coherent word.
What does this mean? Quite simply, they should first know, for example, that the letter /r/ ‘makes’ the ‘rrr’ sound and so forth. Secondly, if you ask them “what word does ‘rrrr’ ‘aaaa’ ‘tuh’ make?” they should be able to tell you ‘rat’ without too much difficulty or guessing. If your child is not yet able to demonstrate these abilities, a good phonics program is in order before attempting these Silly Stories.
Your beginning reader should also read the Silly Stories volumes in order, as each volume equips them with a skill set that allows them to tackle the next volume.
Finally, remember that these stories are indeed silly; children who are having fun when learning retain information better and are better disposed to continue with their lessons.
Wishing your young reader a lifetime’s enjoyment in reading,
Michael McClung
mcclungmike@yahoo.com
Fat Man and the Bad Cat
(Focus areas: short vowels /a/ and /e/,
voiced digraph /th/,silent e, adjacent consonants.
Common words ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘on’, ‘to’, ‘was’)
A bad cat had a plan. The bad cat sat on a hat. Then the bad cat sat on a rat. Then the bad cat sat on Sam. Help, Fat Man!
Fat Man had to act fast. Fat Man ran at the bad cat. “Scat, cat!” yelled Fat Man.
The bad cat sat on an ant!
Then Fat Man had a plan. He ran back to the bad cat and sat. Splat! The bad cat was flat!
“Thanks, Fat Man!” yelled the rat, the ant and Sam. And that was that.
Focus areas: 3 letter, 3 sounds words with short vowels
Additional common words: “said” “go” “or” “do” “was”
Challenging words: “laugh”
“My pig is not bad,” said Dan. “Can I let him on my bed?”
“No,” said Ben. “You can not let the pig on the bed.”
“But my pig is not big,” said Dan. “He can fit on the bed.”
“A pig is not a pet,” said Ben. “Pigs run in the mud. Pigs get wet. Pigs do not go up on beds.”
“My pig is not a wet mud pig!” said Dan. “He is my pet! He is not bad or fat! Let him get up on the bed!”
“The pig is big, Dan,” said Ben. “The pig is fat. Do not let him on the bed. NO PIGS ON THE BED.”
Ben left. Dan was sad. He let the pig on the mat. He let the pig on the rug. But it was not fun. So he let the pig on the bed, and it was fun.
Ben was back. He was mad. “I said no pigs on the bed, Dan!”
“It is not a pig,” said Dan. It is a hog!”
Ben did not laugh.
Six Little Chicks
(Focus areas: common sounds /i/, /a/ & /e/,
/ch/ & voiced /th/, silent e, adjacent consonants.
Common words 'one', 'me', 'to', 'was')
Six little chicks had bad habits.
One chick kissed the pig!
One chick pecked the hen!
One chick sat on rats!
One chick dug in the mud!
One chick yelled at Mel!
And the last chick was so bad, she rammed the lamb!
Mum Hen had had it. She put the little chicks in a sack and ran up the hill to the ram. “Help me with the bad chicks, Ram.”
Ram had a plan. He put the bad chicks in a box and sent them to Alaska.
Just kidding!
The Sad Rat
(Focus areas: common sounds /e/, /a/, /i/,
vowel combinations for /e/, silent e & w,
adjacent consonants, /ng/.
Common words 'was', 'too' & 'to', 'my', 'so', 'for')
Mel the rat was sad. His friend Kit the elephant said “What's wrong, Mel?”
“I have lost my hat in the well,” said Mel. “It fell in the well, and I am so sad! It is my best red hat!” Mel sobbed.
“Can't you get it back?” asked Kit.
“No,” said Mel. “I am too little to get it.”
“I can get it for you!” said Kit. “I have a long trunk.”
So Kit stuck her long trunk in the well and grabbed the red hat. She handed it to Mel.
Mel yelled and sobbed! “My best red hat is so wet!” he said.
Kit huffed and stomped off.
Ted's Big Bed
(Focus areas: common sounds /e/, /i/,
adjacent consonants, vowel combinations for /e/)
Ted had a little bed, but he wanted a big bed. He wanted to run and jump on a big, big bed.
“Mom, can I have a big, big bed? Can I have a big red bed?”
Mom said yes, and Ted got his big red bed. Ted ran and jumped on the bed. But then he had another plan! He got some friends to run and jump on his bed!
Ann ran and jumped on the big red bed. Then Sam and Dan and Jan ran and jumped on the big red bed!
But then they ran and smashed and bumped their heads and fell off the bed.
“No running or jumping on the bed!” Mom said.
The Hot Dog
Focus areas: common sounds /i/ /a/ /o/ /u/ /e/,
‘-ing’, ‘-ed’, adjacent consonants, ‘ck’ & silent ‘t’
Common words 'the', 'in', 'a', ‘it’, ‘was’, ‘took’, ‘so’, ‘were’, ‘off’
The big dog was running. Running was fun. He wanted to run in the mud, so he did. Then he wanted to run in the sun, so he did. Then he got hot.
The dog was so hot, he ran back to the mud. The mud was not hot. It was a big, soft, not-hot bed. The dog took a nap in the mud.
But in the mud were ten big fat bugs. The dog was on them. They got hot.
“Get off us, dog!” they yelled. But the dog was having a nap. He did not listen. So they bit the dog on the bum.
Short Vowel/Long Vowel Contrast and Comparison
The Effect of Final ‘e’, and ‘ea’ as long ‘e’
Common words ‘were’ ‘asked’ ‘said’ ‘all’ ‘out’ ‘now’
Sam did not want to eat peas.
He was mad when his mom made him eat the peas. He hit the can of peas with a cane. He jumped on his hat and said “I hate peas!” Then he put on his cap and cape and said “I will leave if you make me eat peas!”
“You must eat your peas,” said Sam’s mom, just the same.
“I will leave! I will not leave a note!” said Sam. “I will get rid of the peas and ride off on my skates!”
“Eating peas is not a fad,” said Mom. “It will not fade. Now sit.”
Sam sat. He was still mad. The peas were on a plate. He had a bite. He bit one pea.
“This pea is not bad,” he said. Then he ate ten peas. Then he ate all the peas.
