Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms: Group 6, sh /sh/
We believe every child deserves free access to quality reading materials that nurture a lifelong love of learning. These decodable books give extra practice with the Jolly Phonics sh sound from Group 6. Children read words like ship, shop, shed, fish, dish and cash, then longer ones such as fresh, flash and brush. Some titles are free to read online.
Free
Not a Rod, Steve?
Alex has a shiny new fishing rod, but Steve’s hands are empty. He searches the beach, the fields, even the shrubs, hunting for sticks and string, but the whole place has been picked clean. Will Steve dash around fast enough to find something before Alex catches every fish in the water? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fish’, ‘dash’, ‘gosh’, ‘rushes’, ‘wishes’.
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Gosh! Pip's Nut Stash Shock
Pip the squirrel has stashed forty-nine nuts to get her through winter, hidden safely in every hole she can find. But one morning she checks her best spot and it’s empty, then the next one, and the next, until every single nut is gone without a trace. Someone, or something, must know where they went, so who will Pip ask first? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘stash’, ‘crash’, ‘gosh’, ‘mishap’, ‘wishes’.
Free
A Pet Picks Steve
Steve thought he’d seen every wonder the world could offer, until he found a hidden pool glowing deep in a cave. There, a small creature with a lush grin climbed right out and sat at his feet like it already belonged to him. Could Steve really give this odd little pet the fresh, posh home it deserves? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘splash’, ‘fish’, ‘gosh’, ‘swish’, ‘rushes’.
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Pang's Big Clash
Pang the cicada is about to conduct the biggest concert of the year, but rehearsals keep going wrong. Voices mix up, wings flap in every direction, and one shy cicada is too scared to sing loud enough for the whole forest to hear. Can Pang calm the chaos and bring his choir together in time? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘hush’, ‘rushes’, ‘dash’, ‘gosh’, ‘wishes’.
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Can Steve Nab the Cod?
Steve has never caught the clever cod that vanishes in a flash whenever a boat comes near. No rod, no net, no plan, just a boy who refuses to give up. When Steve finds something washed up in the sand, will it be enough to outsmart the sneakiest fish on the coast? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fish’, ‘splash’, ‘wish’, ‘flash’.
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Gosh! Dash Is Mad
Kate has one big job before sunrise: clean the whole tower, top to bottom, before the Wind Princess arrives. There’s just one broom left to grab, and it is not happy about it. Can Kate calm it down in time? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘dash’, ‘gosh’, ‘splash’, ‘brush’, ‘crash’.
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Spike Has Not Got a Pal
Spike the cactus has never had a friend, not once, but today feels different. He hops through the garden looking for someone to hug, but the trees just laugh and shun him. Sad and hushed, he wonders if a prickly plant like him could ever fit in. Could there be a pal out there who won’t mind his spines? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fresh’, ‘shock’, ‘gosh’, ‘dash’, ‘wish’.
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Anansi Gets Fat
Anansi the spider smells Farmer Kofi’s prize melon and sneaks inside for a snack. He eats and eats until his belly gets fat, but now he is stuck tight inside! Can he escape before Kofi finds him hiding there? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘dashes’, ‘fresh’, ‘gosh’, ‘shock’, ‘crash’.
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Gosh, Trash!
Dr. Can Do finally tidies his messy workshop, but a chest full of stone leaves no room for his inventions. He dreams up a clever rig to send the trash straight into the lava pit himself. Will his brilliant plan really keep his workshop clean for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fresh’, ‘gosh’, ‘bash’, ‘shelf’, ‘shuts’.
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Shoot Up!
A vine is creeping up the shed and reaching for the tree. It climbs and twists tighter every day, and soon it might crush the very branches it holds. What will happen when the vine finally reaches the top? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘shoot’, ‘shed’, ‘rush’, ‘flash’, ‘crush’.
Gosh, A Fresh Plan!
Ned’s furnace is nearly out of coal, and the caves are too deep, dark, and full of biting things to explore. Luckily, The Book has a fresh plan that needs no digging at all, just some clever growing and a fiery trick or two. Can Ned turn a few wee saplings into a plot full of oaks before his fire fizzles out? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘crash’, ‘fresh’, ‘shifts’, ‘gosh’, ‘swish’.
Zom Wishes for a Fresh Dish
Zom the zombie is tired of brains for every meal, so he decides to become a chef instead. There’s just one problem: he’s never been shopping, and everything he picks up looks disgusting to everyone but him. Will his very first non-brain creation turn out to be a fresh dish worth eating? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fresh’, ‘dish’, ‘gosh’, ‘mashes’, ‘shock’.
Splash! A Mob Runs at Tip!
Tip is having the worst day ever, chased from a cave and left with a flooded farm. She flops into bed and refuses to get up, no matter what. But when her best pals show up with strange surprises, will anything change her mind? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘hush’, ‘wishes’, ‘fresh’, ‘gosh’, ‘posh’.
Rush, Nip, Rush!
Nip is finally at the sea, and she is not stopping for anything, not even one more shell. But shells keep appearing, and crabs, and a rock that might not be a rock at all, and soon Nip is dashing everywhere except toward the water. Will she ever actually reach the sea? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘rush’, ‘dash’, ‘splash’, ‘hush’, ‘shock’.
Gosh, Splash and Crash!
Nat and Pip are the very best of pals, sharing snacks, drawings, and giggles. But when a splash of bad luck turns their day upside down and other kids start to shun Nat, will their friendship survive the storm? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘gosh’, ‘splash’, ‘crash’ and ‘vanishes’.
Crash! Bop's Big Mishap
Bop can’t wait for the parade, but his feet just won’t cooperate. Every move goes wrong, until Big Brother tells him to stop trying so hard and just listen. Can Bop’s feet finally do what the music tells them? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘gosh’, ‘hush’, ‘crash’, ‘wishes’, ‘swish’.
Rabbit Rushes
Rabbit is determined to be first at everything on the first day of school, racing to beat his classmates at every challenge he can find. But when a race, a painting, and a story all slip away from him, can Rabbit find something he is truly best at? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘rush’, ‘wishes’, ‘gosh’, ‘finishes’, ‘fresh’.
Donkey Wishes For A Twin
Donkey is sure there must be another Donkey out there somewhere, so he checks every pond, field, and friend he can find. Could Hippo be a match? What about the sleepy hedgehog in the grass? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘wish’, ‘splash’, ‘rush’, ‘hush’, ‘gosh’.
Ned's Sheep Shock
Ned’s shed is finally coming together, but he’s still sleeping on a cold, hard floor. The Book says the fix is wool, but first Ned needs the right tool. Can Ned turn an iron bar into something that will finally get him a bed? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘sheep’, ‘rush’, ‘flash’, ‘fresh’, ‘gosh’.
Gosh, Mel Dashes Fast!
Mel is the fastest bee in the hive, and she’s sure she doesn’t need her six helpers to fetch nectar from one giant glowing flower. She zips off alone into the dim shrubs, past a big black web, without a second glance. But when she sips the sweet goo inside that flower, something feels very wrong. Will Mel escape before the petals shut for good? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘dash’, ‘rush’, ‘flash’, ‘shut’, ‘gosh’.
Bad Men Rush In!
Bad men are on the hill, and inside the village walls, one small defender must decide how to hold the line before help even arrives. Will he stay hidden, or make a stand when the men rush in? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘rush’, ‘dash’, ‘crash’, ‘flash’, ‘smash’.
Dr. Can Do's Fresh Plan
Dr. Can Do is desperate to save his coal-hungry furnace, so he dreams up a machine that grows and cuts bamboo all by itself. Just when everything looks ready, a curious hen keeps sneaking in to peck at his precious wiring. Can Dr. Can Do outsmart one very determined chicken? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘gosh’, ‘shoo’, ‘dashes’, ‘fresh’, ‘shrugs’.
Mother Crow Spots Fresh Fish
Mother Crow is proud of her big loud voice, but her three hungry chicks want breakfast, not presents. She soars over rooftops, spies a fresh fish in a lady’s basket, and swoops down to grab it. Can she get it back to the nest before anyone stops her? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fish’, ‘fresh’, ‘crash’, ‘wish’, ‘gosh’.
Is It A Sham?
Steve found a glowing green emerald deep underground, and now it won’t let him go. Stuck in a strange village with no way home, he needs a map to find his way back, but the villagers won’t help easily. Can he find someone to guide him before the emerald changes him forever? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘shock’, ‘dashes’, ‘flash’, ‘rushes’, ‘wish’.
Amina Grabs a Flash
Amina dips into the deep reef and finds a bracelet glowing green among the coral, but a strange rushing voice warns her to be careful. Back on shore, her grandmother goes very still and says the bracelet belongs to someone far below the waves. What will Amina find when she returns it to the deep? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fish’, ‘rush’, ‘dash’, ‘splash’, ‘she’.
Sifiso at the Deep Pool
Sifiso must cross the deep, green pool to bring medicine to his sick grandmother, but a great serpent guards the water and has turned back every villager who tries. He finds a lily floating at the edge and slowly coaxes it in with a reed, but will a simple gift be enough to earn his passage? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘splash’, ‘dashes’, ‘wishes’, ‘rushes’, ‘shut’.
Tiren and The Hyena
Tiren is the smallest herd boy in the enkang, and no one thinks he can manage forty cattle alone. When the older boys fall sick, he grips his rod and treks past the shrubs anyway, determined to prove them wrong. Then the herd drifts toward the trees and a storm rolls in fast. Can Tiren keep the cattle together before things get worse? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘rushes’, ‘shoo’, ‘crash’, ‘dashes’, ‘hush’.
The Deer Rush
Demba leaves grain at the roots of an old baobab tree every morning, and when the animals vanish and food grows scarce, he sits by the tree at dusk and hears a voice. Something has been eating his offering all along, and it wants to give him a gift. What will he wish for? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fresh’, ‘hush’, ‘flash’, ‘rush’, ‘wish’.
Kaggen Shushes the Calf
Kaggen the mantis finds a lonely eland calf and hides it deep in a rocky gap, feeding it honey in secret so no hunters will find it. The calf grows big and strong, but it keeps staring at the wide open plain beyond the rocks. Will Kaggen’s hiding place be enough to keep his best friend safe? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘hush’, ‘wishes’, ‘dashes’, ‘shoo’, ‘fresh’.
Elephant and Pili's Nest
Deep in the rainforest, a careless elephant tramples wherever he pleases, never once looking down. When he smashes tiny Pili’s nest without even noticing, the little weaver bird decides that even the smallest creature has a voice. Can Pili and her friends teach a giant to watch where he steps? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘crash’, ‘rushes’, ‘shock’, ‘gosh’, ‘hush’.
Girma and the Posh Room
High on a windswept plateau, a shepherd tends his flock and dreams of answers no one else would think to give. When the emperor’s messenger rushes past, sash flying, to summon wise men to a posh palace room, he doesn’t even glance at the boy with the sheep. But the shepherd has a hush of an idea forming by the fire. Could a boy in worn sandals really out-think the scholars? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘posh’, ‘rushes’, ‘hush’, ‘dashes’, ‘shock’.
Ekun Plans an Ambush
Ekun the leopard has been watching Agbe the ram for three days, and he thinks the fat, slow grazer will make an easy meal. But every time Ekun creeps close for his ambush, something goes wrong, and he ends up rushing back to the trees instead. Will Ekun ever get past those big horns to catch his dinner? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘hush’, ‘ambush’, ’lush’, ‘shrinks’, ‘crashes’.
Skel Wishes for a Pup
Skel has a wish: he needs a pup to be his brave hunting partner. But the moment he brings one home, the dog can’t stop chewing on Skel’s own bones, and one shock morning Skel wakes up missing his arms. Will Skel ever teach this bone-loving pup some manners? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘gosh’, ‘dashes’, ‘shock’, ‘wish’.
Gosh! The Box Shifts
Gosh! A stranger sets up shop right by the farm, and hidden behind his goods is something glowing that he says nobody should touch. When a curious boy dashes off with it anyway, chaos follows fast, from mushrooms to a mysterious mishap. Can the friends undo the trouble before it gets any worse? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘gosh’, ‘dashes’, ‘shop’, ‘mishap’, ‘fresh’.
Yellow in Shock!
Lila’s workshop is a glorious mess of paint and brushes, and inside her paint box, one yellow tube refuses to be squeezed like the rest. He puffs out his chest and declares nobody will flatten him, but Lila’s painting is missing something bright and bold. What could it be? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘fresh’, ‘shock’, ‘brush’, ‘splashes’, ‘gushes’.
Gus Dashes
Gus can’t wait to walk to Grandad’s all by herself, no running, no fuss. But a sudden bark sends her dashing the wrong way, heart pounding, sure a huge dog is on her tail. Will she survive the walk to Grandad’s, or will fright win first? Written for Jolly Phonics classrooms (Group 6: sh /sh/), this book practices words like ‘dash’, ‘rushes’, ‘gosh’, ‘wishes’, ‘hush’.
Decodable Books for Jolly Phonics Classrooms
Frequently Asked Questions
What sound does the digraph sh make?
The sh digraph makes one quiet, rushing sound, /sh/, the sound people make to ask for quiet. The lips push forward and the teeth come close together as air flows out. It is one sound, not /s/ plus /h/, so ship has three sounds: sh-i-p. Because it can be stretched, children can hold it for a moment, which helps them hear it inside words like fish and wish.
What is the sh rule?
In short words, the /sh/ sound is usually spelled sh, whether it comes at the start, as in ship and shop, or at the end, as in fish and cash. In longer words later on, other spellings make the same sound, such as ti in station and ci in special. For now, children can rely on sh as the main spelling of this sound.
What sh words can children read in Group 6?
The books for the Jolly Phonics sh sound use words like ship, shop, shed, shut, fish, dish, wish, cash and rush, with blends such as fresh, flash, crash and brush. Some also combine sh with earlier sounds, as in sheep, sheet, shoot and short, which gives children plenty of variety within one sound.
How can I help my child hear the difference between s, sh and ch?
Word pairs make the difference clear: sip and ship, sock and shock, and chip and ship. Say one word and ask your child to point to the matching letters, then swap roles. Families given a free digital library for shared reading saw their young children’s literacy skills improve, according to a University of Chicago study, and reading a sh story together is a natural next step.
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