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Rats!
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Rats! Rats! Rats!

Rooted in Language

Rats!

Rats!

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$5.00
$6.00 $5.00
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On July 16, 2025, we announced that Rooted in Language will be closing effective July 15, 2026. The last day for purchases in our Shop is March 31, 2026. Access to PDF downloads ends June 30, 2026. Please see our Business Transition page for details.

 

Rats! is a colorful picture book that includes step-by-step phonics strategies for successful reading and early writing practice. 

Students share the adventure of two rats who accidentally come upon the family cat. New readers build basic decoding skills as they follow these lovable rodents. Then, phonics knowledge is reinforced by writing copywork passages at the end of the story. 

Research reveals that teaching reading and writing together grows stronger literacy skills in students. Young readers need to practice handwriting skills, as well, so copywork practice is a necessary ingredient for growth!

Rats! also includes early suffix practice for engagement in simple word study. Learning to combine the skills of word study plus phonics builds the strongest foundation for reading fluency and accurate spelling.

All Rooted in Language products incorporate research-based methods to support students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, developmental language disorder, and other literacy-based struggles.

 

To purchase Rats! in paperback, buy on Amazon.

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Specifications
  • Grade level: K-2 (can be modified for older students with reading struggles)
  • File count: 1 PDF
  • Page count: 27 pages
  • Picture book with supporting early phonics, reading, and handwriting instruction
  • Free downloads: 3 PDFs (33 pages) including Small Letter Tile Manipulatives (cardstock recommended); Short Vowels (1 page cardstock recommended); Handwriting Paper

Scope

Rats! introduces and practices the following:

  • Short vowel sounds and letter formation: a, i, o 
  • Consonant sounds and letter formation: c, h, n, p, r, s, t, and z
  • Punctuation: periods plus an exclamation and question mark
  • Suffix -s to create plurals and verb tense
  • Single-syllable short vowel words
  • Consonant digraph: sh
  • Onomatopoeia: pat, zzzz
  • Speech bubbles vs. thought bubbles

License and Terms of Use
  • Refer to our complete Policies & Terms of Use which provide the full terms that govern your use.
  • This product is licensed for the purchaser's own use with their own children, children for whom they have legal guardianship, and their own students. The purchaser may not share this product with or reproduce it for other parents, educators, tutors, or students outside of the purchaser’s immediate family. 
  • Please direct other educators to the Rooted in Language Shop to purchase this product for their own use.
  • For charters, schools, and districts purchasing on behalf of enrolled families:Click the Help Chatbot in the lower right corner of your screen for Website Order and Purchase Order procedures. Our products are consumable and the property of your enrolled family, the home educator for whom you purchased the product. A separate purchase must be made for each home educator using the product. Our products may not be shared in lending libraries. Our products may not be reproduced for multiple home educators without a purchased license for each home educator. A home educator is defined as a parent or legal guardian who is teaching their own children and the children for whom they have legal guardianship. For more information, see our FAQs and complete Policies & Terms of Use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Rats! help my student who struggles?

Yes. Regardless of age, students with learning struggles need to develop the foundational skills required for successful reading and writing. They need explicit and systematic instruction, with many opportunities to practice using text controlled for success. Rats! will be a welcomed addition to your controlled text library, and the PDF version will have an older “look” for older learners. The extra materials and supplemental lessons provided will inform the educator on the kinds of instruction that students with learning difficulties need. 

For additional support, consider Rats! in conjunction with our Pinwheels early literacy curriculum or our Foundations for Teaching Reading, Writing & Spelling educator course.

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What is the best way to print the Rats! PDF?

Rats! should be printed single-sided or double-sided, one image per page, then stapled or spiral bound. Trimming pages to size is optional.

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I purchased the paperback version of Rats! on Amazon? Are there any supplemental activities or resources to go with it?

Yes. Download the following free resources:

Customer Reviews

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Ella, Amazon Review

This book has been a delightful entry-point for my late reader. The illustrations are delightful - sometimes illustrations can be a distraction to the text. I like how the author and illustrator keep things really simple - a needed attribute for the early or struggling reader. In addition to phonics practice, RATS! gives children an introduction to various punctuation (!!) and various other literary elements (thought clouds, onomatopoeia). I'm looking forward to more books like RATS!

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Lee, Amazon Review

Rats is an interesting and imaginative way to introduce children to reading. Simple enough to be a quick lesson (or reminder) of vowels and reading, and imaginative enough to hold their young minds! The illustrations are adorable! Love this book for folks who are helping children learn to read!