← All lessons

Lesson 119

-sion, -tion

-SION and -TION are final stable syllables

The SI and TI in -SION and -TION are Latin spellings of /sh/. The SI in -SION is often pronounced /zh/ (e.g., vision), but -TION is never pronounced this way. Provide additional vocabulary instruction addressing the meaning and usage of words with these affixes as needed.

Today's plan

about 15 min
  1. Step 1Warm up our ears (blend & segment)2 min
  2. Steps 2 & 3Look & Say / Listen & Spell4 min
  3. Step 4Blending drill3 min
  4. Step 5New concept + read/spell6 min
Step 1

Warm Up Our Ears

Say the sounds; students blend them into a word. Then say a word; students break it apart.

Blend it (teacher says sounds → you say word)

/ăk/ · /shen/action
/lō/ · /shen/lotion
/vi/ · /zhen/vision

Break it (I say word → you say sounds)

Steps 2 & 3

Flashcard Drills

Full-screen cards for the class. Tap a card to check the answer, or press Hear the words to hear the example words read aloud.

Step 4

Blending Drill

Change one part at a time and read the new word.

Step 5

New Concept

Today we will learn two more final stable syllables, -SION and -TION, which come at the end of a word.

Highlighted words are the ones to show and practice reading — tap one to hear it.

Final stable syllables always come at the end of a word. We know one final stable syllable, -LE, as in and . Two more final stable syllables are -SION and -TION. -SION can be pronounced two ways. When -SION follows a vowel (including r-controlled vowels), it is usually pronounced /zhen/ like in the words and . When -SION follows a consonant letter, it is usually pronounced /shen/ like in the words and . -TION can also be pronounced /shen/ like in the word . -TION is sometimes pronounced /chen/ with TI making the /ch/ sound like in the word . We can break big words apart into syllables to help us read and spell. Display the word . To read this word I can break it into syllables: ro - ta - tion, then blend the syllables together: rotation.

-sion

-SION is pronounced /zhen/ after a vowel (vision, diversion) and /shen/ after a consonant (passion, extension).

-tion

-TION is usually pronounced /shen/ (fiction), and sometimes /chen/ (question).

Breaking apart big words

We can break big words into syllables to help us read and spell them, e.g., ro-ta-tion.

How our mouth moves

Review articulatory gestures for /sh/, /zh/, and /ch/, as needed.

Sound wall

Add 'sion' and 'tion' under /sh/ (and 'sion' under /zh/).

Open the digital sound wall →