Decodable High­Frequency Word Unit 

Lesson 4: High­Frequency Words 
with /wh/ Digraph 
 

Performance Objective: 
Given a list of high­frequency words containing the /wh/ digraph, 
students will state the words with 90% accuracy (nine or more correct 
out of 10 attempts). 

Resources/Materials Needed: 
● Letter cards 
● Lists of words to reference (Appendix G) 
● Whiteboard and markers 
● Student whiteboards and markers 
● /wh/ Connect Four boards and game markers 
● Game boards from Lessons 1, 2, and 3 
● Digital links to assessment document/slideshow 
● Assessment papers for teacher to record student responses 

Time: 1 Hour 

Step 1: Pre­Instructional Activities 

Flip through letter cards one by one, with students stating the sounds 
of each letter chorally. Then, call on individual students to supply the 
sounds of the letters, incorporating entry level skills review and 

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practice, and allowing for corrective feedback as needed. Display 

the letter cards (Appendix D) on the document camera/TV to form 
consonant­vowel­consonant words for students to practice reading, 
creating a connection between prior learning and today’s lesson, 
which will incorporate a new sound into the types of words students 
are familiar with. Review a few /sh/, /th/, and /ch/ words from the 
previous lessons using letter cards to form them on document 
camera. Students should read them aloud, chorally, with the 
teacher providing necessary corrective feedback. Allow time for 
students to play the games they had created during the previous 
lessons as a way to review and activate prior knowledge.  

Step 2: Content Presentation 

Use the letter cards to form and read several /wh/ words with the 
class . Connect to students’ entry level skills knowledge of the 
individual sounds of /w/ and /h/. Teach the class that the letters /w/ 
and /h/ have distinct sounds when they are separate in a word, but 
when they are next to each other, they make a new sound. 
Introduce the vocabulary term, digraph, and explain that it means 
two letters that come together to make a new sound. Practice 
several more /wh/ words whole group. Display these through the TV 
connected to the teacher computer using a Google Slideshow 
(Appendix B). 

Step 4: Learner Participation 

Students will retrieve their individual whiteboards, markers, and 
erasers and return to the learning area. They will write down five 
/wh/ words that the teacher writes on the board and practice 
reading them to themselves. They will then partner with a peer to 

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read the words together. The teacher will write five more /wh/ words 
down, which the students will copy and read individually and with a 
partner. During this time, feedback will be given verbally to students 
as needed, based upon the responses they give. If students are 
struggling with the concept, the teacher will spend more time 
reading words whole group or with individual students. The students 
will then be given time to brainstorm as many /wh/ words as they 
can in one minute and write them on their boards. They will switch 
boards with their partner and practice reading the words the other 
has written. Even if a child writes a nonsense word, their partner 
should read it using the phonics skills and letter sounds knowledge 
he/she has. 

Step 4: Assessment 
During the time the student are playing the game described in Step 
5: Follow­Through Activities, the teacher will call students over 
individually to read 10 words containing the /wh/ digraph (student 
can either read the words from a Google Document in list format or 
a Google Slideshow that they can advance by clicking). All digital 
links and blackline masters can be found in Appendix A. The teacher 
will use a checklist (Appendix C) to document whether or not each 
child was able to read the words and their percent of correct 
responses. The performance goal states that nine out of 10 correct 
responses or more (90%) is required to show proficiency. 

Step 5: Follow­Through Activities 

Introduce the /wh/ Connect Four game to students and assign 
partners. Students take turns reading the words and placing their 
game markers on the board, trying to cover four in a row. After 

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students have had ample time to play, pass out blank game boards 
and invite students to write in their own /wh/ words. The students 
should then take turns using their game boards to continue playing 
the game and reading the words.   

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Lesson 4 Assessment Word List 

 
whip 
when 
whisk 
which 
whiff 
wheel 
whomp 
what 
why 
where 
 

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Lesson 4 Assessment (for teacher use) 

 
Student Name:   /wh/ Word Identification Assessment 

YES NO  whip 

YES NO  when 

YES NO  whisk 

YES NO  which 

YES NO  whiff 

YES NO  wheel 

YES NO  whomp 

YES NO  what 

YES NO  why 

YES NO  where 

Total Correct:   

Percent of Proficiency:    
 

   

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Appendix D 
Letter cards for building words 

Link: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7Q8NcEbWlft7f8xLE72zjjKO4_HlhFW
/view?usp=sharing   

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Lesson 4 Game Boards 

   

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Appendix G 
● Consonant­vowel­consonant words to use for whole group 
practice 
 
mop  sub  dip  zap 
rat  lap  tub  den 
yes  lot  quit  pig 

 
● /sh/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
rash  shot  lash  dash 
dish  shut  rush  shop 
wish  fish  shed  ship 

 
● /ch/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
chip  much  rich  chin 
chop  chat  chunk  Chet 

 
● /th/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
moth  path  math  Beth 

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bath  Seth  thin  thud 

 
● /wh/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
whip  when  whiff  where 

 
● /ck/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
duck  lick  rock  pick 
kick  shock  Rick  neck 
back  pack  chick  sock 

 
● /am/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
ham  Sam  am  jam 
Pam  bam  ram  Tam 

 
● /an/ words to use for whole group practice 
 
can  than  pan  man 
fan  Jan  an  tan 
Dan  ran  Nan  van 

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