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Free short stories for 1st graders

Peabody has 38 free short stories for 1st graders at reading level 1, from about 46 to 200 words each, including fables, fairy tales and true stories. Each opens at once with no sign-up and reads in a few minutes. Free through the end of 2026.

By , founder of PeabodyChecked

Looking for what to read with a first grader, and how to go about it? The guide 1st grade reading: free short, decodable stories to read tonight covers that. This page is the stories themselves, level 1 at a time.

StoryKindWordsWhat happens
Can I Pet It?Peabody story60Can I pet the dog?
I See a BoyPeabody story46A boy, a cat and a dog can all run.
Meg and the SeedPeabody story60Meg digs in a seed and cannot wait.
Gus and the Big RockPeabody story57Gus the frog wants to sit on the big warm rock, but it is too big and he lands in the pond.
Where Is Ned's Hat?Peabody story63It is cold, and Ned's hat is gone.
Ben and the BlocksPeabody story66On a rainy day Ben stacks his blocks up, up, up, and the big one on top makes it all crash.
Lou and the Snow DadPeabody story61Lou makes a snow Dad with a big hat and a scarf, and the real Dad comes out to look.
Moss and the BoxPeabody story65A big box comes with a lamp in it, and Moss hops right in.
Not Yet, TedPeabody story59Ted will not go to bed, no, not yet!
Dex on the BusPeabody story64Dex and Dad ride the bus to the park, but the bus has to stop for a duck, then six more.
Kip and the CrabPeabody story57Kip digs in the sand and finds a red rock, and then the rock gets up and runs.
Liv and the AntsPeabody story58Liv and Gran each have a bun, and four small ants come by wanting some.
Kate and the PuddlePeabody story56Kate jumps in a big puddle, and then the mud gets up and says Oink.
Fay and the KitePeabody story76Fay runs up the hill with her red kite, but there is no wind.
Go, Go, GoPeabody story68A dog goes up, down, in and out.
A Cat and a DogPeabody story61A big dog and a little cat can both run and jump.
Rain on the HatPeabody story54Rain is on the hat, the car and the dog.
Bo and the Bath DuckPeabody story60Bo is in the bath and his toy duck is gone.
Red, Red, RedPeabody story50I have a red hat, a red cup and a red car.
Under the SeaPeabody story51Under the sea I can see a fish, a crab and a shell.
Look at the Big PigPeabody story53Look at the big pig, the big bus and the big cake.
Dot and the LogPeabody story82Dot is a little duck who wants a seat on the sunny log with the big ducks, but every hop ends with a plop.
A Boo for BeaPeabody story75Max's baby sister Bea will not stop yelling, and Dad is stuck with the soup.
A Bath for the BirdsPeabody story95Nell makes a bird bath from a tin pan, but the first thing to splash in is a big pig.
The Red HatPeabody story55A little red hat lands on a big, big cat.
The Crow and the PitcherClassic128Crow is so thirsty, and the water in the jug is too low to reach.
Frogs Are AmazingTrue story100A true little book of frog facts.
The Stuck KitePeabody story128Tess's new kite gets stuck in a tree, and Dad's hat gets stuck too.
Pim and the MittenPeabody story149Pim the crow finds a lost red mitten in the snow, and the mitten wiggles!
The Three Little PigsClassic200Three little pigs build houses of straw, sticks and bricks.
Johnny AppleseedClassic80Johnny has a pot for a hat, no shoes and a bag of seeds.
The Tortoise and the HareClassic132Hare is fast, and he laughs at slow Tortoise.
At the ZooPeabody story46We can see the lion, the bear and the tiger.
The Gingerbread ManClassic179A gingerbread man jumps out of the oven and runs from everyone.
Ruby Goes to SchoolTrue story131A true story about Ruby Bridges.
The Bean in the CupPeabody story128Omar's sister says his bean is a dud.
Henny PennyClassic180An acorn falls on Henny Penny's head, and she is sure the sky is falling.
Goldilocks and the Three BearsClassic175Goldilocks walks into the three bears' house when nobody is home.

What level 1 reads like

Peabody works out a story's level from its text, never from the child. At level 1 a sentence is at most 8 words long and a screen holds 2 to 10 words. Reading level 1 shows the rest of the limits and a sample.

Is level 1 right for a 1st grader?

Peabody names its levels for the reading, so level 1 is the one it calls 1st grade. A 1st grader starts here, at level 1. The level moves up as books run easy. level 2 suits a strong reader.

Stories by kind

More free stories

Questions parents ask

What reading level are short stories for 1st graders?

Peabody calls level 1 its 1st grade level. It is worked out from the text: sentence length, words on a screen and how common the words are, not from a grade label. A 1st grader starts here. The level pages show every level's limits.

Are any of these stories scary?

None of the 38 is marked spooky. Every story is marked gentle, spooky, scary or horror, and scary and horror stories are not open to visitors at all.

Do the stories cost anything?

No. Every story on this page is free to read through the end of 2026, with no account and no card.

Checked against how Peabody works on 19 October 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher.

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