What are Consonant Digraphs and How to Teach Them?
Consonant digraphs are a big part of learning to read, so knowing what they are and how to teach them is crucial. In this post, I will help you understand what they are and how you can help students learn them in a fun, engaging way.
What are Consonant Digraphs?
A consonant digraph is a combination of two consonant letters that make a single consonant sound (phoneme).
Some of the most common consonant digraphs are are ch, sh, th, and wh.
There are several others, but they are not as common and may not be taught until first or second grade.
For this post I will focus on teaching consonant digraphs in kindergarten.
The Different Sounds of Digraphs
Sometimes consonant digraphs make different sounds.
For example, the "th" digraph can make a voiced or unvoiced sound.
Let's look at the word math and and the word this.
When you say the word math, the "th" sound is voiceless. You do not engage your vocal cords when making this sound.
When you say the word this, the "th" sound is voiced. You engage your vocal cords when making this sound.
Teaching Consonant Digraphs in Science of Reading Lessons
I have created a variety of hands-on and engaging resources for you to use when teaching students to read and spell words with consonant digraphs.
If you want to give your students fun and engaging ways to learn more about these sounds, then these consonant digraph activities should help!
You can also use any of my editable games for additional practice. These activities allow you to type in any words you want, so you can type in a word list that includes words with consonant digraphs.
