Rationale:
As beginning readers, children need to learn ways in which to spell words. Some words contain diagraphs, such as /sh/. Diagraphs contain two or more letters and are combined to form one mouth move.  This lesson will not only help children recognize the diagraph /sh/ in spoken words, but in written words also.

Materials:
Elkonian boxes, letter manipulatives: s,h,e,f,i,h,p,f,l,u, the chant ãSh, Sh Stop That Noiseä written on chart paper, Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowly, a piece of blank paper for each child, a pencil for each child, crayons

Procedures:
1. Introduce the lesson by saying that we have learned how letters make sounds, but in some cases 2 letters joined together can make one sound. One example of this is /sh/. When two letters are combined in this way to make one mouth move it is called a diagraph. Can everyone say the diagraph /sh/ with me?

2. Next the students will be asked to raise their hands if they can tell me which two letters make the sound /sh/. Youâre right÷it is an s and an h.

3. Now, I am going to say some words and I want you to put your finger over your mouth as you are telling someone to hush when you hear the /sh/ sound. Goat, shoe, hush, apple, push, shine, coke, star, shape.

4. Good job, now I want each of you to get out your letterboxes and letter manipulatives and we are going to spell some words containing the diagraph /sh/. This first word contains 2 boxes: she, 3 boxes: hush, ship, 4 boxes: flush.  I will now write the words on the board and I want you to say them.

5. Now we are going to look at the chant Sh, Sh, Stop that Noise. I will read it once then you may join in. After reading it we will count the number of times we heard the /sh/ sound.

6. Mrs. Wishy Washy will now be read.

7. For assessment: I will give each child a piece of paper and pencil. They will be asked to think of a word that contains the /sh/ sound and write the word. With crayons, they will draw a picture to represent that picture. I will take the papers up to see how well the children have comprehended the concept of the /sh/ diagraph.

Reference:
Cowly, Joy. Mrs. Wishy Washy.
Eldredge,J.Lloyd. (1995). Teaching Decoding in the Holistic Classroom.

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