This beginning digraphs fill in the blank worksheet has 1st graders write ch, sh, th or wh to finish words in sentences and under pictures. Answer key included, so it grades itself in seconds.
This ng and nk digraph worksheet gives 1st graders picture-clue practice writing the ending sounds in words like ring and skunk. An answer key is included for quick, no-prep phonics practice.
This S Blends Worksheet helps first graders spell and hear the beginning blends sn, sk, sp, sl, and sm by completing real words. Includes a complete answer key, perfect for no-prep phonics practice at home or school.
This Alphabet Micro Lesson is a short 3 minute video that teaches all about the Alphabet, including letter recognition, consonants, and vowels.
This NG/NK digraph worksheet asks 1st graders to sort six words by their ending sound and then build four more. Answer key included for fast, no-prep phonics practice.
A w or wh worksheet that helps 1st graders decide which spelling makes the /w/ sound, with six picture clues and six picture-free words. Answer key included for fast, confident phonics practice.
This R Blends Worksheet gives 1st graders two quick activities — three word-bank sentences and a br, gr, tr word sort — covering the blends br, fr, gr, pr, and tr. Answer key included for fast checking.
This H Digraphs Fill in the Blank Worksheet gives 1st graders six sentences to complete with sh, ch, wh, and th words, plus a circle-the-digraph section. Answer key included for fast, no-prep phonics practice.
The L Blends Fill in the Blank Worksheet gives 1st graders ten sentences and a word bank to practice fl, bl, pl, cl, and sl blends. Answer key included for quick, no-prep phonics practice at home or school.
Practice the Blends SP, ST Worksheet with picture bubbles and word-box sentences made for 1st Grade readers. An answer key is included, so beginning blends turn into quick, confident reading.
This Blends SM, SN Worksheet asks 1st graders to listen for the beginning blend, then write sm or sn to finish twelve words. An answer key is included, so checking takes only seconds.
This Blends BL BR Worksheet has 1st graders write the missing blend under six pictures, then spell two whole words. An answer key is included for quick, no-prep phonics practice.
In this popcorn blends activity, K-2nd Grade children spin a blend, sort 12 picture cards into popcorn boxes and fill in a practice page, with an answer key included for quick checking.
This is the Alphabet Song by Have Fun Teaching offers a fun and engaging way to learn the alphabet. This song helps children master their ABCs with a catchy tune and memorable lyrics. The repetition and rhythm make it easier for kids to remember the alphabet letters. Teachers and parents…
This Starts With SH Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 1st graders a short beach story full of sh words plus five bubble-in questions. An answer key is included, so phonics practice and reading comprehension happen in one no-prep activity.
This beginning blends fill in the blank worksheet lets 1st graders read six sentences and drop in the right consonant blend from a word bank. Includes an answer key for quick, no-prep phonics practice at home or in class.
Using Consonant Sounds Reading Comprehension Workbook, students can have all of the passages about different consonant sounds all in one workbook.
Blends, digraphs and a lot of sound
By first grade most kids know their single consonant sounds, so now consonants start teaming up. Kids learn blends, where you still hear both sounds (st in stop, bl in black), and digraphs, where two letters make one brand-new sound (sh, ch, th, wh). They also meet ending teams like -ng and -nk in sing and bank. The click moment is when a child stops sounding out s-h-i-p and reads "ship" in one smooth go.
Consonant teams are all about hearing the difference. These moves train ears first, then eyes.
Teach each digraph with a key picture and a motion: finger to lips for sh, a choo-choo arm for ch. Then read a list of words and have kids make the motion when they hear it. Hearing the sound first makes spelling it so much easier.
Why it works: the National Reading Panel found that systematic, explicit phonics teaching clearly improves how children learn to read.
Try it withBeginning Digraphs Fill in the Blank WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Hand out letter tiles and say "Make lip. Now make slip. Now make flip." Kids swap only the first letters each time. Building and changing one sound at a time shows that blends are just two sounds you already know, said fast.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withBlends BL, BR WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →A 3-minute check at the end of the week: say a word, kids write the blend they hear at the start. Sort your notes by blend family. Most kids are solid on s blends long before r and l blends, so you'll know where to reteach.
Why it works: a big review of study methods ranked quick self-quizzing among the most powerful ways to remember (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withS Blends WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Consonant teams are made for games. Here's what our first graders ask for.
ActivitiesKids pull a popcorn piece, read the blend and pop up to say a word that starts with it. Pop, pop, pop!
Open Popcorn Blends Activity →
WorksheetsIs it -ng or -nk? Kids say the word, listen for that ending hum, and pick the right team.
Open NG and NK Digraph Worksheet →
WorksheetsKids sort question words and everyday words, then try a "wh" question on a partner: What? Where? Why?
Open W or WH Worksheet →Teacher favorites right now: Beginning Digraphs Fill in the Blank Worksheet, NG and NK Digraph Worksheet and S Blends Worksheet.
In a blend you can still hear each letter, like the s and t in "stop." In a digraph, two letters make one new sound, like "sh" in "ship." First graders learn both, usually blends and digraphs side by side.
The core ones are sh, ch, th, wh and ck, plus ending teams ng and nk. Many programs also add ph later in the year.
They're reading each letter on its own and missing the team. Point to the "sh," say its sound together, then reread the word. Underlining digraphs before reading helps kids spot them.
Play "I spy something that starts with /st/" around the house. Or write a word like "lip" and let your child add letters to make slip, flip and clip. Five minutes a day is plenty.
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