1st grade
Digraph Sound Boxes
Sound boxes for words with sh, ch, th and ck: ship, chin, fish, duck, bath and moth. The two letters of a digraph share one box because they make one sound.
Phonics worksheet · Digraphs and blends
Blend or Digraph?
Twelve words to sort into blends (flag, stop, crab) and digraphs (ship, chin, when). The rule is printed on the sheet.
- Grade level
- 1st grade
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Topic
- Digraphs and blends
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Digraphs, Consonant blends, Spelling rules, Decoding longer words
What kids do
“Say each word slowly. Can you hear both letters? That’s a blend. Do two letters make one new sound? That’s a digraph.”
Printed on the sheet:
- In a blend you hear both letters (fl, st). In a digraph two letters make one new sound (sh, ch).
Words on this sheet
milkduckchinstopringthinshipdrumsnapwhenflagcrab
Teacher tip
Read the rule on the sheet together and test one word of each kind.
How to use it
- Say each blend slowly, then quickly, so kids hear both sounds.
- Highlight the digraph or blend in each word before reading.
- Send it home with a note asking families to listen to their child read the words.
Watch for
Kids who drop one sound of a blend, like “fog” for frog. Ask them to stretch the word.
Talk about it
- Do you hear two sounds or one new sound?
- What sound does this letter or letter team make?
Take it further
Go on a digraph hunt in a classroom book and tally sh, ch and th.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More digraphs and blends worksheets
1st grade
qu Says /kw/
qu at the start of words: trace queen, quilt and quick, color the qu words, finish six words with qu and read a sentence.
1st grade
Double Letters: ff, ll, ss, zz
The floss rule: trace bell, kiss and buzz, color the double letter words, pick ff, ll, ss or zz to finish six words and read a sentence.
1st grade
L Blends 2: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl
Six new sentences, each missing an l blend: blocks, clap, plum, glue, fly and sleep. Only one choice makes a word that fits.
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