Bright, colorful photos support decodable text, guiding beginning readers to identify, recognize, and use the short /a/ sound. Featuring high-frequency words, this authentic nonfiction text also gives emerging readers the opportunity to read for information while reinforcing basic phonemic sounds. Readers will follow a relatable narrator as they play a game of baseball. This nonfiction phonics title is paired with the fiction phonics title Cat and Rat: Practicing the Short A Sound. The instructional guide on the inside front and back covers provides: * Word List with carefully selected grade-appropriate words featuring the short /a/ sound found in the text * Teacher Talk that assists instructors in introducing the short /a/ sound * Group Activity that guides students to identify the short /a/ sound, decode the words that contain it, and use the words * Extended Activity that provides students with additional opportunities to think about, list, and use words containing the short /a/ sound * Writing Activity that guides students to write the letter that makes the short /a/ sound