How to Teach Digraphs in First Grade Without Confusion

So your first grader has mastered CVC words like cat, hot, and sun.
They're blending like pros. You're both feeling confident. 🙌

Then you open the next book and see…

ship, this, chin, whiz, back

Suddenly, they're confused. The rules they knew don't seem to apply.

Welcome to digraphs—the next step in the phonics journey. 🛤️
These “two letters, one sound” combinations can trip up even strong early readers—unless they’re taught clearly and explicitly.

Let’s walk through exactly how to teach digraphs at home—without overloading or confusing your first grader.

🔤 What Are Digraphs?

A digraph is when two letters come together to make one single sound.
The most common consonant digraphs are:

• sh as in ship

• ch as in chin

• th as in this, thin

• wh as in whale

• ck as in back

These are different from blends, where you still hear both letter sounds (like sl or gr).
With digraphs, the two letters team up to make one sound only.

🚫 Why Digraphs Are Tricky for First Graders

• They look like two letters but act like one

• Some, like th, have two sounds (voiced and unvoiced)

• They don’t follow the rules your child just learned with single-letter phonics

• They can appear at the beginning or end of words

That’s why it’s so important to teach them systematically and clearly. 💡

✅ When to Teach Digraphs

Once your child can:

• Blend and segment 3-sound CVC words

• Identify beginning, middle, and ending sounds

• Recognize at least a handful of letter-sound correspondences

…it’s time to introduce digraphs. 🎉

Start with the most common (like sh and ch), and build from there.

📚 How to Teach Digraphs at Home (Step-by-Step)

1. Introduce the Sound Before the Spelling

Say:

“This is the sound /sh/ like in ship. Let’s whisper it like steam—/shhh/.”

Have your child make the sound with you. No letters yet!

2. Connect the Sound to the Spelling

Show the letters s and h together.

Say:

“When these two letters are side by side, they work as a team. They say /sh/ together.”

Use visuals like letter tiles, magnets, or handwritten cards to reinforce that they function as one.

3. Practice With Simple Words

Blend together words with that digraph:

• sh-ip, sh-op, sh-ut

• ch-in, ch-ip, ch-at

Prompt with questions like:

“What sound do these two letters make?”
“Can you spot the digraph in this word?”

4. Switch Positions

Don’t forget final-position digraphs:

• mash, rich, bath, peck

Kids often master beginning digraphs first, so practice both!

5. Use Dictation to Reinforce It

Say:

“Spell the word chip.”
Let your child tap the sounds: /ch/ /i/ /p/
Write the letters as they say the sounds aloud.

This strengthens the connection between reading and spelling. ✏️

6. Build a Digraph Wall or Notebook

Create a small chart or notebook page with:

• Digraph spelling (sh)

• A keyword (ship)

• A picture

• A few example words

Add to it each time you introduce a new digraph. It becomes a reference your child can revisit. 📖

💡 Teaching Tips

• Use hand motions or gestures (e.g., finger to lips for /sh/)

• Play sound-matching games (“Which word has /ch/—chip or lip?”)

• Read decodable books that match the digraph you’re teaching

• Avoid mixing digraphs and blends too early—keep them separate until digraphs are solid

🧠 A Note on the Two Sounds of “Th”

Teach voiceless /th/ first (as in thin), then voiced /th/ (as in this).
Kids don't need to know those terms—just let them feel the difference:

• Place hand on throat and say thin → no vibration

• Say this → vibration

It’s a fun way to make abstract concepts more concrete. 👏

Final Thoughts

Digraphs are an essential part of early reading—but they can easily become confusing without explicit, step-by-step instruction.

By slowing down, focusing on one sound at a time, and making it multisensory, you’ll help your first grader read, spell, and decode with confidence. 💪

No guessing. No overwhelm. Just one sound, one step at a time.