Georgia Grade 1 English

Connect one speech sound with the two letters sh

Counting letters and hearing sounds are different tasks. A child can see four letters in ship while hearing only three speech sounds. Work orally first, then connect the sounds with the written word. This activity selects a small part of Georgia’s current Foundations domain.

Curriculum source: Georgia’s K-12 English Language Arts Standards, approved May 2023 and fully implemented in 2025–26, from the GaDOE English standards directory.

Georgia Grade 1 references for this activity

Georgia’s current Grade 1 English document contains grade-level expectations alongside broader standards and practices. The expectations selected here support this activity; use the whole document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage.

These are selected grade-level expectations from Georgia’s current English standards. Activity labels describe a teaching focus rather than reproduce complete requirements. Read the linked grade-level document, including its broader standards and practices, alongside the school’s curriculum sequence.

A worked Grade 1 reading and writing activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

Words for the activity: ship · fish · dish

Short reading line: The fish is in the dish.

Try the activity

Say ship slowly without showing the spelling. Blend its three sounds, then say each sound separately. Repeat with fish. Show the words and identify the two letters that work together for the sh sound.

Follow the reasoning

Ship has the sh sound, a short i sound, and a p sound: three sounds in a word written with four letters. The letters s and h represent one sound together here. Fish also has three sounds: f, short i, and sh. In ship, sh comes at the beginning; in fish and dish, it comes at the end. Point to each spelling unit as the child reads, keeping sh together. Read the short line with support for any other words the child has not yet learned.

Notice what needs more practice

Saying separate s and h sounds in these words changes the intended pronunciation. Counting four sounds only because four letters are visible confuses spelling with speech. If blending is difficult, model the sounds and bring them together smoothly before asking the child to repeat. Do not pronounce extra uh sounds after the consonants. The goal is a clear sound-to-spelling connection, not the fastest performance.

Use the next session to build independence

1. Begin with the spoken word and help the child hear its separate sounds.
2. Show the spelling, point to sh as one unit, and blend the word again.
3. Read the short line and have the child find sh in its two example words.

Compare sip with ship: the first sound changes while the short i and final p remain. Then let the child build dish with letter cards, using s and h together for its final sound. Ask for a sound explanation before asking for a letter count. Choose additional words that match the phonics patterns already taught, and revisit this small set if the child starts naming letters instead of blending sounds.

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

Georgia Grade 1 English: useful planning questions

Why does ship have four letters but three sounds?

In ship, s and h work together to represent the sh sound. That sound, short i, and p make three sounds, although the spelling has four letters.

Where are the complete state requirements?

Georgia’s current Grade 1 English document contains grade-level expectations alongside broader standards and practices. The expectations selected here support this activity; use the whole document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.