The Four-Square Circle
Characters:
- Narrator
- Leo
- Maya
- Sam
Narrator: It is recess at Maple School. The sun is warm, and the blacktop is busy. Leo bounces a red rubber ball on the four-square court.
Leo: (bouncing the ball) Come on, Maya! Let us play. The court is ready.
Maya: (running over) I love four-square. Let's start right now!
Narrator: Just then, Sam walks up to the blue line. Sam looks at the painted squares.
Sam: Can I play too? I have my sneakers on.
Leo: Oh, Sam. The game is called four-square, but look around. We only have three people. We need four players, or the game does not work.
Maya: Leo is right. One square will be empty. If you hit the ball into an empty box, nobody is there to hit it back.
Sam: (looking down) That means I cannot play. Only two of you can play catch, or someone has to sit on the bench.
Narrator: Maya looks at Sam's sad face. She looks at the big red ball. She thinks about how it feels to wait alone.
Maya: Wait! We can make a new rule. What if we do not use the squares today?
Leo: How can we play without the squares?
Sam: Can we make a big circle instead?
- blacktop:
- A dark, hard surface paved outside for playing or parking.
- court:
- An area marked with lines used for playing a sport or game.
- empty:
- Not holding anything or not having anyone inside.
- bench:
- A long, hard seat for two or more people.
- corners:
- The points or angles where lines or sides meet.
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Main Idea
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Purpose
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where are the children playing at the beginning of the play?
- 2What kind of ball does Leo bounce on the court?
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About this reader's theater passage for 2nd Grade
“The Four-Square Circle” is a reader's theater reading passage about playground inclusion, written for 2nd Grade. It takes about 2 minutes to read (332 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.