ShortGarden Detectives · Case 2
Tracks in the Sand
Short A · Level 2
Short A with blends, digraphs, and -ack words
Before reading
Open the case file
Hear the focus words
Read and investigate
Tracks in the Sand
Natural read-along narration · AmeliaPress Read with Amelia, or choose a sentence to begin.
Sam had a map of the garden path. He set it on a flat rock by the sand. A fast wind swept past. The map flapped, and then it was gone.
Sam spotted a track in the damp sand. The track ran past a black plant and into a crack. Sam did not grab at the crack. He sat back and watched.
A little crab crept out with the map on its back. The map had blocked the hot sun. Sam made a small shade from a plank. The crab left the map and sat in the shade.
Case cracked: the wind moved the map, and the crab used it as a hat.
Check the evidence
Can you solve the case?
Choose the answer that is supported by the story.
What really happened?
The wind blew the map into the sand, and the crab carried it for shade.
For adults
Use evidence, not guesses
Ask the learner to point to the sentence that proves each answer. If decoding is effortful, reread one paragraph at a time. A fluent second reading is more valuable than rushing to the next story.