English Language Arts · 1st Grade · The Magic of Reading and Phonics · Weeks 1-9

Digraphs and Blends: Two Letters, One Sound

Students learn to identify and blend common digraphs (sh, ch, th) and consonant blends (bl, st, tr) in words.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3.A

About This Topic

Digraphs and consonant blends are core phonics patterns introduced in first grade under CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3.A. A digraph pairs two letters that together produce a single new sound not represented by either letter alone -- "sh" makes /sh/, "ch" makes /ch/, and "th" makes /th/. A consonant blend, by contrast, keeps both sounds audible while combining them quickly: in "blue," you can still hear both /b/ and /l/. Teaching students to distinguish between these two patterns gives them a reliable tool for decoding unfamiliar words.

First graders often encounter digraphs in high-frequency words ("the," "she," "chair") before formal instruction, which can create early confusion about why those letters behave unexpectedly. Explicit teaching provides the framework to explain what students have already been reading and saying. Practice should move from oral recognition to print: first identify the target sound in a spoken word, then connect it to the letter pair on the page.

Active learning is well-suited to this topic because students need repeated, varied exposures to generalize these patterns across new words. Sorting activities, word-building games, and partner challenges require students to articulate their reasoning, which surfaces misconceptions early. When a student explains why "phone" and "fish" start differently, that peer-to-peer discussion builds metalinguistic awareness faster than independent practice alone.

Key Questions

1. Explain how two letters can make a single sound in words like 'ship' or 'chair'.
2. Differentiate between a digraph and a consonant blend.
3. Predict how adding a blend or digraph changes the sound of a word.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th) and consonant blends (bl, st, tr) in spoken and written words.
• Compare the sound produced by a digraph to the sounds produced by its individual letters.
• Differentiate between consonant digraphs and consonant blends based on sound production.
• Blend sounds to read words containing common digraphs and blends.
• Explain how digraphs and blends alter the pronunciation of words.

Before You Start

Letter Recognition and Sounds

Why: Students need to be able to identify individual letters and their most common sounds before combining them.

CVC Word Decoding

Why: Understanding how to blend individual sounds to read simple consonant-vowel-consonant words is a foundation for decoding words with digraphs and blends.

Key Vocabulary

digraph	Two letters that come together to make one new sound. For example, 'sh' in 'ship' makes one sound.
consonant blend	Two or three consonants that are next to each other, but each consonant sound can still be heard. For example, 'bl' in 'blue' has both the /b/ and /l/ sounds.
phoneme	The smallest unit of sound in a spoken word. For example, the word 'cat' has three phonemes: /c/, /a/, /t/.
grapheme	The written representation of a phoneme. For example, 'sh' is a grapheme that represents the /sh/ phoneme.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

A digraph and a consonant blend are the same thing.

What to Teach Instead

In a digraph, the two letters lose their individual sounds and together produce one new sound -- you cannot hear /s/ or /h/ separately in 'sh.' In a blend, both sounds remain audible, just combined quickly. Word-sorting activities help students discover this by listening carefully to whether each individual letter's sound is still present. The discovery sticks better when students reach the conclusion through discussion rather than being told the rule upfront.

Common Misconception

'th' always makes the same sound.

What to Teach Instead

'th' actually represents two distinct sounds -- the voiced /ð/ in 'the' and the unvoiced /θ/ in 'think.' Students often notice this on their own during read-alouds when they pay attention to where their tongue is and whether their throat vibrates. Drawing attention to this in a group setting turns a potential confusion into an interesting discovery and deepens phonemic awareness alongside digraph instruction.

Common Misconception

Adding a blend or digraph always makes a longer word.

What to Teach Instead

Adding a blend often replaces an existing initial sound rather than adding letters to the word. 'Cat' becomes 'flat' not by inserting sounds, but by swapping /k/ for /fl/ -- and the word structure changes in a different way than students expect. Comparing the original and transformed word side by side using sound boxes shows exactly which sounds changed and which stayed the same.

Active Learning Ideas

Sorting Game: Digraph or Blend?

Give pairs a set of picture cards featuring words with digraphs (sh, ch, th) and consonant blends (bl, st, tr). Students sort the cards into two labeled piles and justify each placement aloud to their partner. Pairs then share one word from each pile with a neighboring pair and explain their reasoning.

15 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Word Wall Sort

Post chart paper around the room, each sheet labeled with one digraph or blend (sh, ch, th, bl, st, tr). Give student groups a stack of word cards. Groups circulate, tape each word under the correct header, and leave a sticky note with a question if they are unsure. After the gallery walk, the class reviews disputed placements together.

20 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Change a Sound

Display a simple CVC word (e.g., "cap"). Students work with a partner to predict what happens when a digraph or blend replaces the first letter. Pairs discuss their prediction, then share out: if /k/ becomes /sh/, what word do we get? Rotate through several base words, including some that produce nonsense words so students must evaluate their results.

10 min·Pairs

Whole Class: Blend and Digraph Relay

Students stand in a line. The teacher says a base word, and the first student adds a digraph to the front to form a new word. The next student tries a different digraph or blend. The class votes on whether each transformation produces a real word or a nonsense word, discussing what sound changed and why.

10 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Librarians help children find books with words that use digraphs and blends, like 'The Cat in the Hat' which features 'ch' and 'th' sounds.
• Toy designers create alphabet blocks and puzzles that help young children learn to recognize and sound out words with common digraphs and blends, such as those found in animal names or action words.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give students a card with a word. Ask them to circle the digraph or blend and then write one word that rhymes with it. For example, for 'ship', they might circle 'sh' and write 'dip'.

Quick Check

Display a list of words on the board, some with digraphs and some with blends. Call on students to come up and point to a word, then say the sound the digraph or blend makes. Ask them to explain if it's a digraph or a blend.

Discussion Prompt

Ask students: 'How is the sound in 'thin' different from the sound in 'thin'? What about 'stop' versus 'sop'? Discuss what makes the digraphs and blends change the sounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a digraph and a consonant blend?

A digraph is two letters that make one completely new sound together, like 'sh' in 'ship' or 'ch' in 'chip' -- neither letter's original sound is heard. A consonant blend is two letters whose individual sounds are both still audible, just combined quickly, like 'bl' in 'blue' or 'st' in 'stop.' Teaching students to listen for whether they can hear each letter separately is the most reliable way to tell the two apart.

How can I teach digraphs and blends at the same time without confusing students?

Start with one digraph and one blend in direct contrast so students can compare them side by side -- for example, 'sh' versus 'sl.' Build in sorting activities that require students to articulate the difference rather than just memorize it. Once students can explain the distinction using two examples, add new digraphs and blends gradually. Rushing to cover all patterns at once is the main source of confusion.

Which digraphs and blends should first graders learn first?

For digraphs, 'sh,' 'ch,' and 'th' are the highest-priority because they appear in dozens of common words students encounter in grade-level texts. For consonant blends, 'bl,' 'st,' and 'tr' are strong starting points. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3.A expects students to decode these in one-syllable words, so connecting each pattern to familiar high-frequency words makes instruction immediately applicable.

How does active learning help students remember digraphs and blends?

Rote memorization of letter pairs fades quickly. When students physically sort words, build them with letter tiles, or play partner games that require them to defend their reasoning, they process the pattern at a deeper level. Collaborative sorting in particular forces students to articulate why a word belongs in a category, which is far more durable than copying a list. The social element also means students hear the target sounds spoken correctly many more times per lesson.