2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 12
Sound Detectives
sh, ch, ee, ai and more
What your child practices
Letter teams that make one sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ee, ai, oa) and clapping syllables.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 2.10; 2.11 · syllables, digraphs and vowel teams
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Some letter pairs make one sound: sh in ship, ch in chick, th in thumb.
- Vowel teams make a long sound: ee in tree, ai in rain.
- Clap each beat (syllable) to count the parts of a word.
Example: Which letters are missing? r _ _ n (water from the sky) Water from the sky is rain. The long a in rain is spelled ai. Answer: ai
Sound Detectives in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 2 of 12 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Rhyme Time and before Story Builders.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which letters are missing?
⛓️ch__n- ai
- ee
- oa
ai
Hint: Say “chain” slowly. The middle sound is spelled ai.
Question 2
Which letters are missing?
🍞t__st- ee
- ai
- oa
oa
Hint: Say “toast” slowly. The middle sound is spelled oa.
Question 3
Clap the word “frog”. How many claps (syllables)?
🐸frog- 3
- 2
- 1
1
Hint: Clap as you say it: frog. Each clap is one syllable. That's 1.
Question 4
Which letters are missing?
🐝b__- ee
- oa
- ai
ee
Hint: Say “bee” slowly. The middle sound is spelled ee.
Question 5
Which word starts with the “wh” sound?
- 🤍white
- 🐑sheep
- 🦈shark
🤍 white
Hint: Say each word slowly. “white” starts with wh.
Question 6
Which word starts with the “sh” sound?
- 👤shadow
- 🤍white
- 🤫whisper
👤 shadow
Hint: Say each word slowly. “shadow” starts with sh.