Rationale:  English language is a very unique system. One component of this uniqueness is that it has more phonemes than letters. Some of these phonemes are made up of two letters digraph that represents one sound. Children need to be aware of these phonemes digraph sounds in order to read and spell words that contain them. This lesson will help children identify the digraph’s” by hearing it and finding the digraph on a bingo card. This lesson assumes that the children already know short vowel sounds.

Materials:                         Sentence strip with tongue twister
                                          Cardboard bingo chips
                                          8x10 note care with [piece of Velcro on back and the letter S and h written
                                          separately on the front side. (Cut apart)
                                          Picture cards with   sh, ch  th, wh digraph visual representation
                                          5x8 note cards made into bingo cards
                                          (see example below have sh digraph going in different directions.)
 

th	wh	ch	sh
wh	th	sh	ch
ch	sh	wh	th
sh	th	ch	wh

Procedures:
1.  Explain to the children that sometimes a sound is written with two letters (While holding up the two individual cards) say the sound of each, then place the together and say the /sh/ sound.
2. Next ask the students to repeat the /sh/ sound taking the letters apart and putting it together again.
3. Next tell the students that these two letters like to sneak out at night to play so they made up a secret signal for their sound and it is to place your finger on your lip. (model gesture)
4. Now we’re going to play a repeating game. I’m going to read this tongue twister sentence and I want everyone to repeat it and make the secret signal every time you hear the /sh/ sound in a word. Everybody repeat after me. “Sheila Shoemaker short shiny shingles shirt shimmer.” (repeat 3-4 times)
5. “Now open your writing folder to a new page and we will practice writing Sh. Let us review the different name of the lines. The top line is called the sky, the  broken middle line is called the road, and the bottom line is called basement. Take your pencils and put it below the road now go up to the road go around then down to the basement like a snake. Next we are going to make little “h” place your pencils on the sky and draw a straight line down to the basement then go back up to the road and go around then back down to the basement.(walk around and give assistance)
 

6. Now I’m going to say some words when you hear the /sh/ sound I want you to do the secret signal. (use words with /sh/ sound at the beginning and end of words also use non sh words)
Some example words:     ash,  ship,  flash
       sock, sick,  slip
7. Now we are going to learn how to make the /sh/ sound I’m going to read ( any book with lots of words with sh) when you hear the /sh/ sound as I read you will make the /sh/ sound and do the secret signal. Before we start lets practice the secret sound and signal.  Pucker up you lips like your going to kiss your mom and then blow out some air out between your puckered lips. (model  model) walk around as you model and observe and give assistance.
Assessment
 Since you’ll are such good secret coder we are going to play a game called “Who wants to be a Shillionair.” I ‘ll give your clue and you have to tell me the word and where you hear the secret code sound. If you hear it in the beginning, middle or end or the word (call on individual students)
 I’m thinking of something that you put food on (Answer: dish /sh/ is at the end)
 I thinking of an animal. It belong to Little Bo Peep ( sheep:  /sh/ at the beginning)
 I’m thinking of something that lives in water, it has scales. (fish : /sh/ at end)
 I'm thinking of something you wear on you feet ( shoe: /sh/ at beginning)
I’m thinking of something you make when you blow out birthday candles. ( wish: /sh/ at end)
Closure:
 Pass out digraph bingo cards and bingo chips. I’m going to hold up some picture and say its name. If the picture has the secret signal sound  take a chip and cover the sh letters on your card  When you have four sh in a row in any direction you can shout bingo.
Reference:
Eldredge, Lloyd, (1995) Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms, Published by Prentice Hall Inc. pp. 64-66, 190.
Bear, Donald, R, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Illustrated by Francine Johnson, (1996) Published by Prentice Hall Inc. New Jersey pp. 17, 173, 216-218.

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