Free Digraph Spelling Practice Activities: Sh, Ch, Th, Ck

Why We Love It

Teaching digraphs is a new and exciting concept for kindergarten and first-grade students. They are learning for the very first time how two letters can represent one sound!

Kids must be able to identify digraphs within words quickly and match the sound to symbol as they read and spell words.

This multi-sensory activity is perfect for kids to practice this important phonics concept for the digraphs sh, ch, th, and ck.

• Elkonin boxes are important because they allow kids to match the sound to the symbol. They visually show that one sound, like /sh/ in fish, will be represented by two letters S+H.
• Pictures are included so kids can confirm the meaning of the words they’re reading or spelling. It’s for this reason that we like using real words when introducing or practicing a concept, but you can certainly use nonsense words too to ensure kids aren’t relying on picture support.
• For more practice with encoding, get our flower-themed Word Building Printables.

Decodable Digraph Words

Most digraphs can be found at the beginning, middle, or end of words. For this resource, we included 3 phoneme decodable words for each of the digraphs:

• sh: lash, ship, fish, cash, dish, shin.
• ch: chat, chop, chip, chin, inch, chill.
• th: bath, thin, moth, path, math, them (unvoiced).
• -ck: duck, sock, lock, luck, tack, sack.

*The digraph -ck follows an important spelling rule. It is the digraph used to spell the /k/ sound immediately after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word.

How to Use It

Assembling the Resource: Print on standard 8.5×11 inch paper. Cut out each of the three flowers per digraph. Place the flower with words on top, then the flower with pictures underneath it, then the flower with Elkonin boxes on the bottom. Glue the center pistols together so that only the petals can be lifted.

Step 1: Choose one word to start. Tap the sounds, blend the sounds, and read the word. Before starting, point out to students that there’s only one dot below each digraph. Why? Because the two letters only make one sound!

Step 2: Lift the petal and check the picture to confirm meaning. Did you get it right? Congratulations! Color in the picture to celebrate.

Step 3: Lift the next petal and spell the word in the Elkonin boxes. There are only three boxes because the digraph represents one sound.

Repeat for the rest of the words on the flower!

Tips & Info

• When teaching the digraph -ck, you should have already taught th c vs. k spelling rule. Be sure to differentiate between beginning /k/ sounds and ending /k/ sounds. The digraph -ck is used at the end of the word, never at the beginning!
• When introducing digraphs, use the sound wall when teaching these new phonemes /sh/, /ch/, and /th/. Remember, the -ck grapheme will go under the /k/ phoneme on a sound wall.
• Remember, digraphs are different from blends!
• For extended use, laminate the flowers and use dry erase markers to write the words!