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Shelly's Big Race

Soft C 1st Grade Long Vowels & Silent E
Shelly's Big Race
Shelly's Big Race, page 1
1Shelly stood at the line for the big race. The race went twice around the lake, and Shelly wanted first place.
Shelly's Big Race, page 2
2Jill hopped up to her. "This race will be a cinch," said Shelly. "We will see," said Jill with a grin.
Shelly's Big Race, page 3
3The race started, and Shelly ran off as fast as she could. She passed Jill and all the others by the white fence.
Shelly's Big Race, page 4
4But she ran too fast, too soon. Her side started to hurt, and her face got hot and red. One by one, the others ran past her.
Shelly's Big Race, page 5
5Jill hopped far up the path. Now Shelly was in last place. "I will not stop," Shelly said. "I will just keep an even pace on this lap."
Shelly's Big Race, page 6
6On lap two, Shelly did not rush, and she did not rest. Step, step, step. The others got tired, and she passed them one by one.
Shelly's Big Race, page 7
7Bit by bit, the gap to Jill got small. At the end, Shelly crossed the line first, by just an inch!
Shelly's Big Race, page 8
8"That was a nice race," puffed Jill. "You never gave up." Shelly smiled. "From now on, I will run that way from the start."
Circle or highlight all the words where C says /s/ (like cent and ice). How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did the big race go around?
  2. Why did Shelly fall to last place?
  3. Who crossed the line first at the end?
Keep practicing
Practice Soft C with 10 more free worksheets

Picture worksheets to read, match and spell these words, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

Get the Soft C worksheets →
Shelly's Big Race printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Soft C
Grade Level 1st Grade
Phase Long Vowels & Silent E
Worksheets Soft C Worksheets

Target Words

cent cell city cinch ice mice rice nice dice face race lace

Sight Words

the is a and to was it she he they said have

More Soft C Readers

Scott and the Ice Mice illustration
Scott and the Ice Mice
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About This Decodable Reader

“Shelly's Big Race” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 1st grade students practicing soft c phonics patterns. This mini-book uses phonetically controlled vocabulary so beginning readers can successfully sound out nearly every word in the story, building confidence and reinforcing the specific phonics skills they're learning.

The free PDF is a full-color illustrated mini-book: a cover, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the soft c words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the five sheets, cut each one in half along the dashed line, and staple — your child has a real little book to hold. A read-aloud version with one large page per sheet is also included for projecting to the whole class.

This reader is part of our collection of free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with soft c patterns, try our soft c phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.