English · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Digraphs and Trigraphs Introduction

Active learning turns abstract sound patterns into concrete, memorable experiences for Year 1 students. When children move, manipulate letters, and hear sounds through games, they connect spoken language to written symbols more effectively than with worksheets alone.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: English - Reading (Word Reading)
• KS1: English - Phonics

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Numbered Heads Together
• 25 min · Small Groups

Sound Hunt: Digraph Picture Match

Display pictures around the room representing words with target digraphs and trigraphs. Students work in small groups to find matches, say the word aloud, and record the digraph on clipboards. Groups share findings with the class, blending the full word together.

Analyze how two or three letters can make one sound.

Facilitation Tip

During Sound Hunt: Digraph Picture Match, have students say the sound aloud as they place each picture, reinforcing the connection between the visual and auditory patterns.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet containing words with digraphs and trigraphs. Ask them to circle the digraphs or trigraphs they find and write the sound each one makes. For example, circle 'th' in 'thin' and write '/th/'.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Numbered Heads Together
• 30 min · Whole Class

Blending Relay: Digraph Races

Divide the class into teams. Call out sounds including a digraph or trigraph; the first student runs to the board, writes the grapheme, and blends with the teacher. Next teammate adds a sound until a word forms. Winning team blends all words at end.

Compare the sound of a digraph to individual letter sounds.

Facilitation Tip

In Blending Relay: Digraph Races, model blending the digraph first, then the whole word, so students hear the shift from phoneme to word.

What to look for

Hold up flashcards with common digraphs and trigraphs (e.g., 'sh', 'ch', 'th', 'igh', 'air'). Ask students to say the sound each letter combination makes. Then, show a word containing the digraph/trigraph and ask them to blend it.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Numbered Heads Together
• 20 min · Pairs

Magnetic Builders: Trigraph Words

Provide trays with magnetic letters and word cards using trigraphs like 'igh' and 'air'. In pairs, students build the word from the card, blend it aloud, then invent a new word with the trigraph. Pairs present one invention to the group.

Explain why digraphs and trigraphs are important for reading more complex words.

Facilitation Tip

For Magnetic Builders: Trigraph Words, ask learners to build the trigraph first, then add onset and rime to form the full word, making the process visible and tactile.

What to look for

Ask students: 'When you see the letters 't' and 'h' next to each other, do they always make two sounds or sometimes just one? Can you give me an example of a word where they make one sound?' Listen for their ability to articulate the concept of a digraph.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Numbered Heads Together
• 15 min · Pairs

Segment and Blend Game: Air Balloons

Use balloon props labeled with pictures. Students pop a balloon in pairs, segment the word into sounds, identify the digraph or trigraph, then blend it back. Collect segmented sounds on mini whiteboards for teacher check.

Analyze how two or three letters can make one sound.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet containing words with digraphs and trigraphs. Ask them to circle the digraphs or trigraphs they find and write the sound each one makes. For example, circle 'th' in 'thin' and write '/th/'.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach digraphs and trigraphs by isolating the sound first, then embedding it in a word. Avoid teaching letter names alongside sounds, as this can confuse young learners. Research shows that kinaesthetic and auditory approaches build stronger phoneme awareness than visual-only methods. Keep sessions short, 10-15 minutes, to match young attention spans.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently identify digraphs and trigraphs in words, blend them accurately when reading, and segment them correctly when spelling. Their oral responses will show they hear the single sound, not individual letters.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sound Hunt: Digraph Picture Match, watch for students who say individual letter sounds instead of the combined digraph sound.

  Prompt them to whisper the sound while touching their throat or lips to feel the airflow of the single sound, then model the correct blending before they try again.

• During Magnetic Builders: Trigraph Words, watch for students who blend the trigraph as three separate sounds.

  Have them isolate the trigraph first by covering the rest of the word, say the sound together, and then blend the whole word slowly.

• During Blending Relay: Digraph Races, watch for students who skip the digraph sound and read only the first or last sound.

  Use a pointer to underline the digraph on the flashcard and ask them to say it aloud before blending the word, reinforcing the pattern visually and orally.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Numbered Heads Together