Week 1: Meet /sh/

Overview

In this first lesson of Sound Explorers Spelling, students are introduced to /sh/ and the common grapheme <sh>. They listen for the sound, pronounce it clearly, sort and read /sh/ words, then record useful words in a personal word bank.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• hear and identify /sh/ at the beginning and end of words
• blend and segment words containing /sh/
• connect the sound /sh/ to the grapheme <sh>
• read and spell common /sh/ words
• create a personal word bank for future spelling and writing

Success criteria

• I can say /sh/ clearly and hear it in a word.
• I can spot <sh> in a word and explain that it represents /sh/.
• I can read and spell words containing <sh>.
• I can record /sh/ words in my personal word bank.

Curriculum links

• English Literacy — manipulating, blending and segmenting sounds in spoken words
• English Literacy — using sound–letter matches, including consonant digraphs, to read and write words
• English Literacy — using spelling patterns to read and write words that are not completely predictable from their sounds
• English Literature — identifying and reproducing rhythmic sound patterns in chants and songs

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Sound hook. Display a picture of a quiet animal or person and ask students what sound they might make to mean “be quiet”. Open with the /sh/ sound hook slide and lead students in saying /sh/ softly, then loudly and quickly. Students echo the sound, noticing that /sh/ is a continuous sound made with the lips rounded and air flowing.

2. 5–15 min · Explicit teaching. Use the sound and grapheme teaching slides to introduce /sh/ and the grapheme <sh>. Model the mouth position and explain that two letters work together as a digraph to represent one sound. Say and stretch words such as ship, shop, fish and sun, contrasting words with and without /sh/. Students give a thumbs-up when they hear /sh/ and identify whether it is at the beginning or end.

3. 15–25 min · Blend and segment. Model continuous blending: /sh/ /i/ /p/, ship; /f/ /i/ /sh/, fish. Segment each word by saying the sounds slowly and mapping them to letters on the board. Include shut, shell, brush and dish. Students blend with the teacher, tap or slide counters for each sound, and write the graphemes they hear on mini-whiteboards. Check that students represent /sh/ with <sh>, rather than separating it into /s/ /h/.

4. 25–37 min · Word sort. Display the word-sorting instructions and word slides. In groups of four, students sort teacher-prepared word cards into “/sh/ at the beginning”, “/sh/ at the end” and “no /sh/”. Use words such as ship, shed, shell, shop, fish, dish, wish, brush, sun, chip and sock. Students read each card aloud, explain their decision and listen carefully to peers. Circulate and ask, “What sound did you hear?” and “Which letters represent it?”

5. 37–50 min · Personal word bank. Distribute the personal /sh/ word bank worksheet. Students write the heading My /sh/ words, record at least six words from the sort, and draw a small picture beside two words. They then add one independently thought-of /sh/ word, checking it by saying the sounds and looking for <sh>. Model using sound buttons or an underlined digraph to show that <sh> is two letters representing one sound. Early finishers write a sentence using two word-bank words.

6. 50–56 min · Spelling practice and feedback. Revisit the guided spelling and checking slide. Dictate three words, one at a time: ship, fish, brush. Students say the word, stretch the sounds, write it and reread it. Students check: “Did I hear /sh/? Did I write <sh>? Did I include every other sound?” Provide immediate corrective feedback by modelling the word and having students correct their own writing.

7. 56–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Show the final review and exit prompt. Students tell a partner one /sh/ word and explain where the sound occurs. On the back of the worksheet, each student writes one /sh/ word from memory and circles <sh>. Collect responses to identify students needing further practice in Lesson 2.

Resources

• the complete Week 1 /sh/ teaching and activity deck
• the personal /sh/ word bank worksheet
• Teacher-prepared /sh/ and non-/sh/ word cards
• Mini-whiteboards and markers
• Sound counters or small manipulatives
• Pencils and erasers
• Class word wall or display space
• Visualiser or interactive whiteboard
• Exit-check collection tray

Assessment

• Listen during the hook, oral identification and word sort for accurate /sh/ production and identification of its position.
• Check whiteboards and the worksheet for correct blending, segmentation and use of <sh> as a digraph.
• Use the final dictated words and exit response to group students for review: secure, developing or requiring targeted support.

Differentiation

• Support students by using picture cues, continuous oral modelling, counters for each sound and a reduced word set containing only initial /sh/ words. Provide a visible model of <sh> and allow oral rehearsal before writing.
• For students with speech, language or literacy needs, accept pointing or selecting during the sort before requiring spoken responses; avoid asking students to repeat the sound excessively if articulation is difficult.
• Support EAL/D learners by showing an image for each key word, checking meaning before sorting and pairing them with a supportive peer. Clearly distinguish the sound from any similar sound in the student’s home language where useful.
• Extend confident spellers by asking them to find /sh/ in both the beginning and end of longer words such as shampoo or sunshine, or to write a sentence using three word-bank words while checking each spelling.