Rationale: As beginning readers, children need to learn ways in which to spell words. Digraphs can be found in some words. The digraphs contain two or more letters and are combined to form one mouth move. This lesson will help children recognize the digraph /sh/ in written and spoken words.
Materials: Elkonin boxes, letter manipulatives s, h, e, i, p, d, l, l, f, u, "Shhh! Shhh! Stop that Noise!" on chart paper, Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash, a piece of paper for each child, pencils, and crayons
1. What do we say when we want someone to be quiet? Thatís right! We say Shhh! I want everyone to make this sound. Raise your hand if you can tell me what your mouth does. Good! The /sh/ sound is made by putting your teeth together and blowing air out of your mouth.
2. Raise your hand if you can tell me what two letters say /sh/. Great job! The letters s and h make the sound /sh/. When these letters are together in a word they make a special sound which is called a digraph.
3. Now I am going to say some words and, if you hear the /sh/ sound, I want you to put your finger over your mouth. (Model the first word for the students.) For example, if I said the word shark, I would put my finger over my mouth because I hear /sh/ at the beginning of the word. (Say the words ship, boat, house, fish, push, star, shape, wish.) Great job!
4. I want everyone to look at our chart and we are going to read the chant "Shhh! Shhh! Stop that Noise!" I will read it first then I want everyone to join in with me. Nice work! Now lets count the number of times we hear /sh/. (Use highlighter tape to highlight the letters "sh" after the students point them out.)
5. Everyone needs to get out their letterboxes and letter manipulatives. We are going to spell some words containing the diagraph /sh/. For example, if I had the word fish, I would use 3 boxes. (Model for the students how to spell fish in the boxes.) The first word contains 2 boxes: she, 3 boxes: ship, dish, shell, 4 boxes: flush. Now I am going to write the words on the board, and I want you to say them together. Wonderful!
6. Have the students read Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash. While you are reading the story, I want you to listen for the /sh/ sound.
7. For assessment, I want everyone to listen to this sentence and write down the words which have the /sh/ sound. "Shelia wished she did not have to wash the dishes tonight." (The teacher should look at all the students' responses." Now I want everyone to take out a piece of paper, pencil, and crayons. I want you to write down a sentence using the /sh/ at least three times. Then draw a picture to go along with your sentence.
"Stop that Noise!" By: Elizabeth Smith Http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/illum/smithbr.html.
Weeks, Sarah. Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash. Scholastic Inc: 1998.
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