Decodable Books for UFLI Foundations Lesson 63: -es
Our mission is making literacy accessible to all children, because reading opens doors to endless possibilities. The decodable books for UFLI Lesson 63 focus on the suffix -es, added to words that end in s, x, z, sh or ch. Children read es words such as axes, boxes, dishes and lunches, and hear how -es adds an extra beat.
Free
Not One Calls Back
A player marches into a silent village under the full moon, sure nothing could scare the bravest explorer around. Every hut sits dark and empty, and a see-through cat slips past him like it isn’t really there. Where did everyone go? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘benches’, ‘winces’, ‘splashes’, ‘dashes’.
Free
The Troll on the Kite
Jen has waited all week for the rain to stop, and finally the sun breaks through. Now she’s racing outside with a kite she built herself, one with a secret weapon drawn right on the front: a troll queen. Will her kite fly higher than every other kite on the street? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘dashes’, ‘wishes’, ‘presses’, ‘rushes’, ‘passes’.
Free
Turtle Can Have Lunch
Anansi cooks a huge feast just for himself, then tricks his hungry friend Turtle into washing up again and again until all the food vanishes. Turtle says nothing, just nods slowly, like someone with a plan. When an invitation to a river feast arrives, Anansi rushes over, only to find he cannot sink to the table below. Can Anansi find a way to reach the feast at the bottom of the river? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘munches’, ‘rushes’, ‘splashes’, ‘vanishes’.
My Best Nest Is Lost
Pip has just built the best nest ever, high in a tree, when a bump sends it wobbling! A wall seems safer, but a surprise visitor sends Pip rushing off again. Will Pip ever find a home that stays put? Just when hope dashes, something drifts by that changes everything, and Pip dozes off with a brand new plan. Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘dashes’, ‘rushes’, ‘gazes’, ‘dozes’, ‘mixes’.
What Links the Globe?
A curious round globe named Web loves showing off the internet’s tricks, sending videos, songs, and links zipping across the world in a blink. But when a teacher warns her class that not everything online is safe, Web realizes he left out an important part of the story. Can he teach the kids to explore the internet’s wonders while staying safe from its dangers? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘dances’, ‘gazes’, ‘passes’, ‘winces’, ‘vanishes’.
My Feet Moan and Groan!
Bop has waited all year to dance in the Bantengan parade, and he’s sure he can copy every move his big brother teaches him on the way there. But his legs wobble, his arms flap, and no matter how hard he tries, his feet just won’t listen. Will Bop ever learn to dance in time for the parade? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘misses’, ‘bashes’, ‘relaxes’, ‘finishes’.
Who Left All This?
Pip and Tom find paint pots left behind in the garden, and soon they’re covered head to toe as they take on a job that’s much bigger than one little gate. Will their masterpiece survive the day? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘dashes’, ‘splashes’, ‘brushes’, ‘wishes’, ‘finishes’.
Bekele Rages
Bekele is rich, and Habtamu just loves sniffing the delicious smells that drift over the garden wall from Bekele’s kitchen. But when Bekele catches him at it, he marches straight to Judge Yared, furious, demanding payment for a smell he says was stolen. Can the judge find a fair way to settle such a strange case? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘rushes’, ‘blushes’, ‘closes’, ‘finishes’.
Lion Must Split
Jackal watches from the bush as Lion, Leopard, and Hyena argue over who should split their big kill fairly. When Hyena and Leopard each try and fail, Lion stomps off to the waterhole and leaves the whole job to clever Jackal. Can Jackal find a way to split the kill that keeps everyone happy? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘rushes’, ’tosses’, ‘hisses’, and ‘munches’.
Fisi Gazes at Pods
Every year, children climb to a giant baobab tree and politely ask for its fruit, and it always drops enough for everyone. But when a clever hyena named Fisi hears about the sweet pods, he decides he wants them all for himself, and he hides in the thorny scrub with a sneaky plan. Will the baobab’s one simple rule be enough to stop him? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘wishes’, ‘rushes’, ‘fusses’, ‘relaxes’.
Rush to the Salt!
Way up in the sky, a big grumpy cloud gets ready to race. Thousands of tiny raindrops squeeze and jostle to the front, and down below, the sun grins as if he knows a secret. What will happen when the clouds finally let go? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘flashes’, ‘crashes’, ‘splashes’, ‘gazes’, ‘passes’.
Can We Fly?
Three kids watch a bird show off, then a dragonfly zip and a butterfly glide, and every flyer they spot has wings. But clouds float with no wings at all, and neither do kites. If clouds and kites can get off the ground without wings, could three determined kids find a way up there too? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘passes’, ‘gazes’, ‘relaxes’, ‘wishes’, ‘glides’.
That Pig Wants My Crop!
Ned has built a house, a fence, and a fine wheat field. But when he finds a strange orange plant, everything changes. A hungry pig catches the carrot’s scent and won’t stop chasing him home. Will Ned ever get a moment’s peace, or will this pig follow him forever? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘chases’, ‘rushes’, ‘fusses’, ‘finishes’.
Blue Train Snuck Off
Dash loves racing his train faster than anything on the tracks, until one night he speeds so far he doesn’t recognize where he’s ended up. Strange faces, a mysterious purple shape in the bushes, and no way home make his heart pound. Can he find his way back before the dark gets too scary? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘races’, ‘rushes’, ‘gazes’, ‘flinches’, ‘misses’.
Wanjikũ Gazes at Dusk
Wanjikũ is the cleverest girl on the ridge, and she never trusted the stranger who only visits at dusk. She marries him anyway, but his home hides a terrible secret behind seven mouths. Can Wanjikũ’s quick thinking save her and her little brother before the monster catches them? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘crashes’, ‘rushes’, ‘chases’, ‘vanishes’.
Crash in the Mine
Jill has found the most beautiful cave in the world, full of glowing purple crystals, but she isn’t here for pretty. She grips her pickaxe and gazes into the dark, sure that diamonds are close. Her minecart rushes deep underground, past rock that crashes and smashes under her swings, but something below is about to knock her plans flat. Will Jill ever reach the diamonds she came for? Created to align with the UFLI Foundations scope and sequence (Lesson 63: -es), this book practices words like ‘gazes’, ‘crashes’, ‘smashes’, ‘rushes’, ‘winces’.
Decodable Books Created to Align with the UFLI Foundations Scope and Sequence
Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use s and when do you use es?
Most words just add s to show more than one, as in cats and dogs. Words that end in s, x, z, sh or ch add es instead, as in buses, foxes, buzzes, wishes and lunches, because adding a lone s would be hard to say. A simple test is to say the plural aloud: if you hear an extra syllable, the spelling is usually es.
Which words take es in the plural?
Plural words that take es include boxes, foxes, glasses, dresses, dishes, brushes, benches and lunches. In every case, the base word ends in a hissing or buzzing sound, which is why the ending needs its own vowel. Later, children meet other es plurals, such as some words ending in o, but those follow separate rules.
How do you teach the suffix -es?
Start with a base word your child can read, such as box or dish, and write the ending on a separate card. Put them together, read boxes and dishes, and talk about how the ending adds meaning by showing there is more than one. Working with word parts like this is part of decoding and morphology, and the books for UFLI Lesson 63 let children try it in real sentences.
How does -es change the way a word sounds?
Adding -es gives a word an extra syllable, so box, with one beat, becomes boxes, with two. Words like ages and faces end with the same extra beat, even though they only add s to a word that already ends in e. Snow, Burns & Griffin (1998) recommended that beginning readers learn to use word parts and spelling conventions, and clapping the beats together is a quick way to make the change easy to hear.
Bookbot is not endorsed by or affiliated with UFLI (the University of Florida Literacy Institute) or Jolly Learning Ltd. UFLI Foundations and Jolly Phonics are trademarks of their respective owners.