Paws Off the Ball!

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Sports Decodable Reader with es Plurals

Practice Words

Two-syllable words where 'es' is added to form plurals, creating an extra syllable.

beaches boxes classes clutches crouches glasses marches matches misses pushes reaches riches smashes stretches teaches tosses touches watches wishes
Page 1
On the right side of the image, Vic stands on the porch of a house with hands on his hips in a confident, expectant pose, looking out toward a group of children gathered in the yard below. Dog lies on the ground near the bottom-left of the scene, relaxed and stretching out in the grass. Several children stand along a fence looking up toward Vic with curious expressions, while a volleyball net is visible in the yard, setting an outdoor after-school atmosphere in bright daylight.

Coach Vic stands on his porch and watches us race up the path. Dog stretches out in the grass below. 'I have something cool to show you,' he says. 'Meet me in the yard after school!' What could it be?

Page 2
In the lower-left portion of the image, Vic is kneeling on the floor, leaning forward with a proud, contented expression as he opens or reaches into a large trunk or chest. Behind him on the wall hangs a large collection of framed certificates and awards, and on a shelf below them sit numerous trophies, cups, and medals. In the bottom-left corner, Dog sits facing Vic alongside a group of small children who are crowding in to watch him from behind.

Vic sits by a big trunk and reaches inside. Behind him, the wall is covered in awards. The shelves below are packed with cups and medals. A heap of shiny riches. Dog and the rest of us crowd in to watch. What Vic pulls from that trunk must be good.

Page 3
On the right side of the image, Vic holds up a big white volleyball with both hands, presenting it proudly to a group of children below. Along the bottom of the image, several small children look upward with excited, wide-eyed expressions, hands raised eagerly toward the ball. The scene is set against a plain white background, with the left side of the image kept clear.

Vic reaches in and lifts a big white ball. 'This is a game I loved when I was young,' he says. 'Now I will teach you all how to play!' Hands shoot up, and every kid wishes to touch that ball.

Page 4
On the left side of the image, Vic stands behind a small tabletop model of a volleyball court, smiling broadly and pointing down at it with one hand while a group of children gather around him, looking at the model with interest. The miniature court shows a net across the middle with tiny player figures on each side and a small ball. Vic has an enthusiastic, explanatory expression as he presents the model to the other kids.

Vic pulls a small model of a ball court from one of his boxes and sets it on the table. It has a tiny net and little players on each side. 'You split into two teams,' he says. 'Then you hit the ball back and forth over the net. The team that wins the most matches is the best!'

Page 5
On the right side of the image, Vic holds up three photo-style illustrations showing volleyball action shots: one depicts a player jumping high with arms raised to spike the ball over the net, another shows a player in a low crouching stance preparing to dig the ball, and the third shows a player at the net spiking the volleyball over it with a determined expression. In the bottom-left corner, a group of small children watch closely and nod with attentive expressions.

Vic holds up three sketches. One player reaches high, one crouches low, and one pushes the ball while the team watches. 'If the ball lands where you want, you score,' Vic says. 'But no feet!'

Page 6
On the left side of the image, Vic holds up a diagram of a volleyball court, showing an overhead view with players positioned on both sides of a net. A dashed arrow on the diagram shows the ball's trajectory arcing to a gap where no one stands on the opposing side. Vic looks out at the viewer with an instructive expression, watching to make sure the audience understands. The background is plain white, leaving the right side open.

Vic holds up a map of the court. A dashed line shows the ball curving to a spot where no one stands. 'Aim for the gaps,' he says. 'Hit it where the other team misses. That is how you win!' He rolls up the map and tucks it into one of his boxes.

Page 7
On the right side of the image, Dog is lying on its belly holding a stack of photographs in one paw, looking down at the top photo with tail wagging. The top photo shows a person diving across sandy beach to reach a volleyball, with a net visible in the background. Several of Dog's paws are visible around the edges of the frame as it browses through the photos. The scene is set against a plain white background.

Dog flips a big stack of pictures on the floor. The top one shows a player diving across the sand to reach a ball. People play this game on beaches all over the world. Dog wishes he could run across that sand and chase the ball!

Page 8
On the left side of the image, Vic kneels on the floor and stretches a large world map across the ground, pointing down at various locations with one hand while two children gather around him, looking down at the map with curious expressions. A volleyball sits nearby in the upper left. Dog lies on its back right in the middle of the world map, relaxed and playful, rolling around. A child with glasses watches Dog and grins. The right side of the image is plain white background.

Vic stretches a big map across the floor and points to spots all over the world. 'You do not need a fancy court,' he says. 'Just a net and a patch of flat grass!' Dog rolls on his back nearby. The kid in glasses watches him and grins.

Page 9
On the right side of the image, Vic leans down from above, smiling encouragingly and reaching down to pat Tim on the head. Tim stands looking up at Vic with a shy smile. Dog sits beside Tim at his side, looking up attentively with tail wagging. In the center-left area, several other children are gathered on the ground — two lying on their stomachs looking at a map or large paper, and one standing child watching with wide eyes.

Tim looks up at Vic with a shy smile. 'What if I am no good?' he asks. Vic reaches down and pats Tim on the head. 'You do not have to be the best. Just get out there and try!' Dog watches from Tim's side, tail wagging, as if to say, 'You can do it!'

Page 10
On the left side of the image, Vic strides confidently forward into the yard, looking back over his shoulder at a line of small children who follow behind him with eager, wide-eyed expressions. Dog trots along at the back of the line on all fours with ears bouncing, looking excited. A volleyball sails through the air above them. The scene is set outdoors on grass with a plain white background on the right side.

Coach Vic marches out to the yard, and we all follow in a line. Dog trots along at the back as his ears bounce. Vic teaches us how to hit, pass, and serve. He smashes the ball so hard it sails across the yard. Our classes have begun!

Page 11
On the right side of the image, a group of children practice volleyball outdoors near a low net, with one child tossing the ball up while another reaches high to send it over the net. The others watch eagerly with excited expressions. Dog crouches in the middle of the group, looking up at the ball with an alert, ready expression as if about to snatch it. Vic stands on the far right with hands on hips, smiling and supervising the practice session.

We spread out by the net and start to practice. One kid tosses the ball up, and a friend reaches high to send it over. Dog crouches in the middle and watches the ball fly. He looks ready to snatch it if it drops!

Page 12
On the left side of the image, Dog sits on a patch of grass, hugging a large volleyball tightly with both front paws, pressing its nose right into the ball with a determined, possessive expression. The ball is nearly as big as Dog. The scene is outdoors on a bright day with a plain white background extending across the right side of the image.

Dog hugs the big ball in his paws and pushes his nose right into it. That toy is almost as big as he is! I think Dog wishes he could play too. But how high can one small dog punt a ball?

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