Grade 1 · Week 1Word study
How a School Bus Gets Ready
Students read a short decodable story packed with sh- and ch- words, then answer six questions, with teacher and homeschool guidance supporting practice of consonant digraphs.
On screen - your kid, alone
- 1Day 1 - Meet the story
- 2Day 2 - Word work
- 3Day 3 - What it means
- 4Day 4 - Fix & re-read
- 5Day 5 - Show what you know
Offline - with you
Print the pages for offline work together; the answer key is for you.
Start by reading the passage aloud once together, then have your child read it back to you, pointing to each word. As they read, ask them to listen for the two special sounds: /sh/ as in "ship" and /ch/ as in "chip." A good response is when your child can find words like shop, shell, dish, Shen for /sh/, and Chad, chip, chick, chin, chat for /ch/, and can tell you which sound each word starts or ends with. You can also play a quick sorting game: say a word from the passage and have your child point to "sh" or "ch" on a piece of paper. If your child mixes up the two sounds, hold up a finger to your lips and whisper "shhh" like a quiet signal for sh, then make a short "ch-ch-ch" sound like a train for ch — these gestures give them a clue to lean on. If a word is still tricky, cover everything but the first two letters, say the sound together, then slide your finger under the rest of the word to blend it.
How a School Bus Gets Ready
It is still dark outside. The big bus is in the lot. Ms. Ruiz walks up with her keys. She is the driver, and her day starts first. Before one child climbs on, she must inspect the whole bus. She starts at the tires. She looks at each one for cuts, and she pushes to feel the air. She lifts the hood. She checks the oil, and she checks the water that keeps the engine cool. Inside, she wipes every mirror until it shines. The mirrors show her the road behind and the steps below. She turns on the lights. Amber, then red, they flash across the dark lot. Each flashing light is a signal. It tells the other drivers what this bus is about to do. She swings out the stop arm. Its flat red sign says STOP, so the cars behind must wait. She walks the aisle. She pushes on every seat back and pulls each belt tight. A loose seat is not safe, so a loose seat gets fixed today, not next week. Last of all, she tests the horn and the brakes. Honk! The bus is awake. The sun comes up over the roofs. Ms. Ruiz opens the door with a hiss. The first child climbs the tall steps. The bus is ready, and so is she.
What this lesson checks
- Main idea: Are we reading this book to enjoy a made up story, or to learn about something real?
- Main idea: Tap the first word we read.
- Main idea: Tap the letter that is taller than the rest, the one that shows this is the first word.
- Main idea: Tap a space, one of the gaps that keeps two words apart.
- Main idea: Tap the mark that shows the sentence is finished.
- Supporting detail: What is the FIRST sound in sat?