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Reading · Ages 5–7 · 15 minutes

Short U Reading: The Pup and the Rug

An original short-u reading passage about the pup and the rug, with a complete word list, words to teach first, and questions to read aloud.

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Short U Reading: The Pup and the Rug

Name:                              
Date:              

Today I am practising: reading a short-u passage and using text evidence

The Pup and the Rug

A pup has mud. The pup can run. The pup ran on a rug. Gus can rub the rug. The pup can sit in a hut. The rug has no mud.

Reading scope Short u CVC words, with the separately listed words prepared first.

Short-vowel word list pup, mud, run, rug, gus, rub, hut

Prepare first a, has, the, can, ran, on, sit, in, no

An adult reads the title and questions. Check every listed word before independent reading.

1

What is on the pup?

2

Where does the pup run?

3

Who rubs the rug?

4

What changes about the rug?

5

Find and copy two short-u words from the passage. Say each sound, then blend.

6

Reread the passage. Tell an adult what happened, and point to one sentence that supports your retelling.

Grown-up guide
  1. Read the title aloud. Check short u and all the listed CVC words; teach or review every word in the 'Prepare first' list before reading. That list includes words with other vowels, consonant clusters, endings or less regular spellings.
  2. An adult reads the questions. Accept spoken answers or dictated notes so the writing demand does not hide the child's reading ability.
  3. If a word is difficult, point through its sounds and blend. Supply a prepared word when needed. Reread for meaning after decoding; the optional answer guide belongs to the adult.