ShortOriginal decodable reading
A Bug on the Rug
Short U passage · Short U CVC review and -ug family
This controlled text gives a learner a meaningful reason to apply already taught spellings. Preview the target words before reading, then reread for smoothness and meaning.
Before reading
Preview the focus words
Read each word from left to right. Say the vowel sound, blend the word, and briefly explain any word that is new.
Keep the reading tightly matched to this spelling pattern.
Enough connected text to practise phrasing without overload.
Answer from the printed passage, not from a guess.
Read and understand
A Bug on the Rug
Teaching note: Read once for accuracy, then reread for smoother phrasing and meaning.
Read it twice
Mum saw a bug on the rug. The bug ran by a mug and hid by a plug.
A slug went past the bug. Mum did not grab them. She put a cup by the door and let them go out.
The rug was still soft and snug. Mum gave the dog a hug and shut the door.
Talk about the text
Check understanding
Ask the learner to point to the sentence that gives each answer. This keeps comprehension tied to the words on the page.
- Where did the bug hide?
- What other small animal went past?
- What did Mum do instead of grabbing them?
Read, spell, transfer
Five-minute word work
Find two focus words with the same ending or vowel pattern. Read them, then write them in a pair.
Choose one focus word. Change its first sound and decide whether the new word is real.
Say one sentence from the text. Let the learner write it, then compare each sound-spelling choice with the printed sentence.
Offline practice
Print this passage
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