Delaware Grade 1 English

Hear one sound when two consonant letters work together

Two printed letters can represent one speech sound. This activity makes that relationship visible with sh and ch, then checks whether a child can use the pattern in an unfamiliar order. An adult can model the sounds before asking for independent reading.

Curriculum source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy, adopted for Delaware English language arts in 2010, from the Delaware Department of Education ELA resource directory.

Delaware Grade 1 references for this activity

Delaware’s ELA/literacy standards use the Common Core State Standards. The full ELA document contains the Grade 1 expectations across its subject strands. These are selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning.

These are selected CCSS references used in Delaware’s ELA/literacy standards. Activity labels describe a teaching focus rather than reproduce the full requirements. Districts develop their own curriculum sequence; use the complete document and the school’s plan for wider coverage.

A worked Grade 1 phonics activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

Read and compare: ship / chip; shop / chop. Short phrases: a big ship; a small chip.

Try the activity

Write ship and place a line under sh to show that the letters work together. Say its three sounds, then blend them into the word. Replace sh with ch and model chip. Compare shop and chop in the same way. Mix the cards and read them again, checking the opening pair of letters rather than remembering their order.

Follow the reasoning

Ship has three speech sounds: the sound represented by sh, the short i, and p. Chip also has three; its opening sound is represented by ch. Each printed word has four letters, so counting letters and counting sounds give different totals. In shop and chop, the opening sound changes while the short vowel and final p stay the same. Reading the whole word distinguishes a ship from a chip; the first letter alone is not enough.

Notice what needs more practice

If a child sounds out ship as separate s and h sounds, join the two letters visually and model sh again. If every card becomes ship, compare the opening pair and the middle vowel. Do not correct the child by asking for speed. These are regular practice examples; they do not mean ch always has the same pronunciation in every English word. Keep new exceptions out of this small set until the child is ready for them.

Use the next session to build independence

1. Model the sh sound and the ch sound while pointing to the letter pairs.
2. Blend each word without inserting an extra vowel between sounds.
3. Shuffle the cards and listen for attention to the changed letters.
4. Read a short phrase and explain which object its word names.

Use a fresh pair such as shin/chin to check transfer. If blending itself is difficult, reduce the set and practice familiar words before adding another digraph. If isolated words are accurate, place one in a short sentence and check both reading and meaning. Keep a note of which sound or spelling needs another model. A child’s ability to explain a word orally may be stronger than handwriting, so do not require a written response to demonstrate this reading skill.

For more general reading and writing resources, visit the Grade 1 English Online Center.

Delaware Grade 1 English: useful planning questions

Does ship have four sounds because it has four letters?

No. In this word, sh represents one speech sound. Ship has four letters but three speech sounds; distinguish the printed letters from the sounds used to blend it.

Where are the complete state requirements?

Delaware’s ELA/literacy standards use the Common Core State Standards. The full ELA document contains the Grade 1 expectations across its subject strands. These are selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.