Image of a fish in a bowl
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Silly Decodable,

Wish for a Fish

By Janice Behrens
From the October/November 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will practice decoding words with a /sh/ digraph pattern and understand the events in a story.

Lexiles: 230L
Word List: fish, Tish, shop, wish, dish, dash, shh, shot, shut, rush, push, crash, woosh, swish
Featured Skill: Fluency, Vocabulary,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1.A Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults
TEKS Standards
  • English Language Arts (2) Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell. The student is expected to: (B) demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by: (ii) decoding words with initial and final consonant blends, digraphs, and trigraphs.

Magazine View
clickable image of nosey, the dachshund, with instructions to click and listen to the article
Image of a boy walking out the front door

Goodbye, fish.

Goodbye, Tish.

I will be at the shop.

Image of a cat licking its lips and thinking YUM while staring at a fish in a bowl

I am Tish.

I wish for a fish.

Image of a cat daydreaming about eating a fish

I wish for a fish on a dish

with a dash of salt.

Shh. Do not tell the kid.

Image of a cat eyeing a fish in its bowl

This is my shot.

The kid did not shut the lid. 

Image of a cat trying to catch a fish in its bowl

I know!

I will fish for a fish.

Image of a cat hiding its face with its paws

I Drat.

I did not get the fish.

Now I must rush. 

Image of a cat trying to catch a fish in its bowl

I will push that fish.

It will crash. 

I will get my wish.

Image of a boy holding a bag of groceries

Stop, Tish!

Do not push the fish.

Image of a fish jumping out of its bowl to run from a cat

Woosh!

Image of a hand putting a fish back in its bowl and the fish saying, "Thanks"

Go back, little fish.

Swish, swish.

Image of a cat looking at a fish toy

This is your fish, Tish.

It is a toy fish. 

Did you get your wish?

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Multimedia
Slideshows (1)
Slideshow
Word Sounds Slideshow

Word Sounds Slideshow

1 of 8

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus 

Phonics and Phonological Awareness

Fluency

Phonics Focus

/sh/ digraph

Word List

fish, Tish, shop, wish, dish, dash, shh, shot, shut, rush, push, crash, woosh, swish

High Frequency Words

will, I, not, it, my

Challenge Words

goodbye, know, drat, toy

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

Whole Group; Technology Time

Pairings and Text Connections

  • From the Storyworks archive: “Silly Story: Mud Bath,” October/ November 2022
  • Suggested books: Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore; Cat Problems by Jory John; Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Before-Reading Resources

  • Word Sounds Slideshow (3 minutes): Preview /sh/ words from the story.

Suggested Reading Focus

Phonics and Comprehension (20 minutes)
  • Review what a digraph is—two letters that make one sound when they are next to each other in a word. Have students practice making the /sh/ sound.
  • Write the following words on a whiteboard. Before reading each word ask students to identify if the /sh/ digraph is at the beginning or ending of a word. Underline the digraph, segment the word, blend the word, then read.

o fish → f-i-sh → fish

o shop → sh-o-p → shop

o wish → w-i-sh → wish

o shut → sh-u-t → shut

o crash → c-r-a-sh → crash

  • Review high-frequency words from the story.
  • As children read, check comprehension. What does the cat want? Why does the cat want the fish? What does it mean when the cat says “This is my shot”? How does the cat try to get the fish? The cat wishes for a fish. Does the cat get her wish?
  • Have students go back through the story and highlight words with the /sh/ digraph pattern. They can practice by reading words aloud.

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Phonics; phonological awareness  (15 minutes)

Extension Activity

Skills: Self-awareness (10 minutes)

  • In the story, the cat wishes for a fish. Ask students: What is something you wish for? Reference the picture of the cat with the thought bubble on page 5. Have students use it as a model to draw their head and something they wish for inside a thought bubble.

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