← Phonics and early decoding collection
Small-group printable · Activity 9 of 10Change sh to ch
Blend known correspondences accurately and check the whole word.
Print and teach
A4 PDF · 2 pages · learner page + separate adult notes and answers.
Suggested Reception-Year 2. Choose by current skill. Allow talk, pointing, drawing, writing or usual communication tools.
Required correspondences
All earlier correspondences; ch /ch/
Words needing separate teaching
None in the word bank.
Single letters use common consonant sounds and short vowels: a as in sat, i as in sit, o as in cot, e as in hen, u as in hut. Both c and k represent /k/. Use the school programme's sequence, sound pronunciation and prompts. Local vowels vary; song and long may differ from cot in US accents. Accept the local spoken word. Adult reads instructions. Printed word banks are for blending, not picture or context guessing.
Activity
chip | chop | chin | rich | much | chat
- Underline ch. Read all six words.
- Build ship, then change sh to ch. Read both words.
- Sort the list: ch at the beginning or ch at the end.
Model it
Read chip as ch-i-p. Compare ship and chip: only the first sound changes.
Delivery steps
- Review the listed correspondences using the school programme's pronunciation and prompts.
- Model one item. Read together, then let each learner try a different item without copying a peer.
- Return to one missed correspondence or blend. Revisit two words after a short unrelated turn.
Answers and acceptable responses - for the adult
- ch-i-p; ch-o-p; ch-i-n; r-i-ch; m-u-ch; ch-a-t.
- ship to chip changes the first sound only.
- Beginning: chip, chop, chin, chat. End: rich, much.
Support
Use a smaller set of three words and movable letters. Reveal one word at a time; allow pointing. Do not require handwriting to show decoding.
Extend and transfer
Ask the learner to build one new real word using only already-taught correspondences, then read it to a partner. Check that it is a real word in the local variety of English.
Look for progress
Record the exact word, correspondence or blend that needed help, plus a later independent reading. Accuracy and self-correction matter more than speed.
If the learner cannot recall a correspondence, return to that taught correspondence. If sounds are known but blending breaks down, model continuous blending with two or three sounds. Revisit a word after a delay before increasing complexity.