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The story: A Pass for a Friend

Ben and Luca were friends at an elementary school in Southern California. Ben was seven, and Luca was eight. On Tuesday, they joined a soccer team.

At their first practice, both boys felt shy. They stood at the edge of the field and watched the other players.

Coach Ana waved them over. “There is room for you here,” she said.

She gave each boy a teal shirt. They put on shin guards and pulled their long socks over them.

“First, we will practice passing,” Coach Ana said. “A gentle kick helps your teammate stop the ball.”

Ben kicked hard. The ball rolled past Luca and out of the practice area.

“Oops,” Ben said. “That was too fast.”

They brought the ball back. This time, Ben used a softer kick. Luca stopped the ball with his foot.

“Got it!” Luca called.

Soon, the friends joined a small practice game. Luca had the ball, but another player stood between him and the goal.

Ben ran into an open space.

“Over here!” he called.

Luca looked up and passed to Ben. Ben could have tried a long shot. Instead, he saw their teammate Mia closer to the goal.

He passed to her.

Mia kicked. The ball rolled into the net!

The three players cheered and tapped hands.

“You both helped,” Mia said. “Thanks for the passes!”

After the game, Ben and Luca sat down for a water break.

“I thought I had to score a goal to help,” Ben said.

“Your pass helped Mia score,” Luca said.

Ben smiled. “Then I want to get better at passing.”

“Me, too,” Luca said. “Let’s practice together.”

They had arrived as two shy friends. Now they felt like part of the team.

Words to know

A teammate is someone on your team.

A pass sends the ball to a teammate.

A goal is scored when the ball goes into the other team’s net.

Gentle means soft and careful.

Find it in the story

1. What team did Ben and Luca join?

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2. What happened when Ben kicked the ball too hard?

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3. Who kicked the ball into the net?

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Think about the story

4. How did Ben and Luca help Mia score?

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5. Why did the boys feel more comfortable by the end of practice? Use a detail from the story.

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Your turn to write

Write 3–5 sentences about helping a teammate. What could you do if a friend felt shy or made a mistake?

Use a voice recording

You can start with: “I can help my team by…”

Words to practice on paper

Use a pencil and paper. Say each word, copy it three times, then cover it and try writing it once from memory. Check your spelling. Practice five words today and five next time.

Today: team, ball, kick, pass, goal.

Next time: friend, gentle, practice, together, teammate.

Choose two words and write one sentence with each. You can draw a small picture beside a word to help you remember it.

About this story

This is a made-up story about fictional friends and a fictional school soccer team. The friends are not related.

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AssignmentsGrade 3ReadingWritingSports