Keep this Digraphs Word List within reach during 1st Grade phonics. Twelve consonant digraphs and forty-eight example words sit on one print-ready page, so readers can check a spelling in seconds.
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 EE EA Vowel Worksheet gives 1st graders fun practice sorting and spelling long E words spelled ee and ea. Includes an answer key — perfect for phonics centers, homework, or quick no-prep review.
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 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.
This NG Phonics Stories worksheet gives first graders a decodable ng story with reading comprehension questions and a word-building activity. An answer key is included, so young readers build phonics and comprehension skills with confidence.
This AI AY Digraphs Fill in Blanks Worksheet lets 1st graders use a word bank to complete eight sentences with long-a words spelled ai and ay. An answer key is included for quick, 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 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.
This EE EA Digraphs Word Bank Worksheet gives 1st graders five word-box sentences and three picture words to spell with ee or ea. Answer key included, so long e practice takes no prep at all.
The Which One? AI AY Digraphs Worksheet asks 1st grade students to write or bubble the right long a vowel team, ai or ay, for ten words and pictures. Answer key included, so students can check their own work.
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.
Read a fun QU Phonics Stories worksheet about Quinn and a duck named Quackers, then answer comprehension and phonics questions. Built for first grade with an answer key included, it makes qu digraph practice simple and fun.
This KN phonics stories reading comprehension worksheet gives 1st graders a short, decodable story about Knox and his knots, then five questions to answer. An answer key is included, so checking work takes seconds.
These digraphs flash cards give K to 2nd grade readers 18 fold-over picture cards for ch, sh, th, wh, ck and ph. A practice worksheet and answer key are included for quick phonics review.
This ch, sh, th beginning sounds worksheet gives first grade students nine picture cards to say, listen to, and finish by writing the missing digraph. An answer key is included, so practice is quick to check.
A first grade CK phonics story worksheet where students read about Vicky, Rick and a ticking clock, then answer five comprehension questions. Answer key included, so decoding and understanding practice takes no prep.
The Phil is on the Phone PH Phonics Stories Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 1st graders a short dolphin story built from PH words, five bubble-in questions, and a full answer key for quick, no-prep phonics practice.
A first grade reading page where a short FR blend story about Fred the frog leads into five bubble-in questions. Fred the Frog FR Phonics Stories Reading Comprehension Worksheet with answer key included.
This Shawn is on a Ship SH Phonics Stories Reading Comprehension Worksheet has first graders read a decodable sh story and answer five questions. Includes an answer key—perfect for quick, no-prep digraph practice.
Two letters, one brand-new sound
A digraph is two letters that team up to make one new sound. First graders learn the big ones: sh, ch, th, wh and ck, in words like ship, chin, thumb, whale and duck. They learn that th can be soft, like in "thin," or buzzy, like in "this," and that ck usually comes at the end of a short-vowel word. Later in the year they meet ng and nk, as in ring and pink, and sometimes ph. The click comes when a child sees "sh" and says /sh/ right away instead of /s/ /h/!
Digraphs ask kids to stop sounding out letter by letter. These moves make that switch easy.
Teach each digraph with a motion: finger to lips for /sh/, a choo-choo arm for /ch/, a little tongue peek for /th/. Flash a card and kids say the sound and do the action together. The motions give kids a memory hook for every sound.
Why it works: teaching letter sounds directly and in order is one of the best-supported findings in reading research (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Try it withDigraphs Flash CardsFlash CardsOpen it →Give kids picture cards and three mats labeled ch, sh and th. They say each word slowly, listen to the first sound and place it on the right mat. Hearing the difference out loud matters more than seeing the letters at first.
Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.
Try it withCH, SH, TH Beginning Sounds WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Keep a digraph word list in every reading folder and read it for one minute each day. Add new digraphs as you teach them, and keep the old ones on the list. A minute a day builds automatic reading fast.
Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withDigraphs Word ListWorksheetsOpen it →Digraphs are full of fun sounds. Let kids make them loud!
WorksheetsRead a silly story about Shawn on a ship and whisper "shh" every time you see the sh digraph.
Open Shawn is on a Ship SH Phonics Stories Reading Comprehension Worksheet →
WorksheetsKids decide if a word starts with w or wh, then blow on their hand to feel the wh air puff.
Open W or WH Worksheet →
WorksheetsRead about Ling and her lost ring and "ding" a pretend bell for every ng word.
Open Ling Lost Her Ring NG Phonics Stories Reading Comprehension Worksheet →Teacher favorites right now: Digraphs Word List, Beginning Digraphs Fill in the Blank Worksheet and EE EA Vowel Worksheet.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound, like sh in "shop" or ch in "chip." The letters do not make their own sounds; they make a new one together.
First graders learn sh, ch, th, wh and ck, and many also learn ng, nk and ph. Kids read and spell these in short words like "fish," "much" and "back."
In a blend you hear each letter, like s and t in "stop." In a digraph you hear one new sound, like sh in "shop." Sorting words into "blend" and "digraph" piles is a great check.
Use ck at the end of a one-syllable word right after a short vowel, like "duck," "back" and "sock." After a long vowel or a consonant, use k, like "bike" or "milk."
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