Reading shouldn’t be a mystery.
As a parent, you want to help your child become a confident reader—but where do you even start?
You may have heard about phonics, but then a teacher mentions digraphs and suddenly you’re googling and hoping for a magic answer. What are they? Why are they important? And how on earth do you teach them?
Let’s make it simple.
Digraphs are two letters that come together to spell one sound—like sh, ch, or th. They’re a super important part of early reading, and kids need to learn how to spot them, read them, and blend them into words. But that’s not always easy—especially if you’re just figuring this out at home without a teaching background.
That’s where I come in. Think of this blog as your step-by-step guide, written by a literacy specialist who’s also a mom of four and 100% understands the chaos of snack time, laundry piles, and “Can you read this with me?” on repeat.
Let’s break down consonant digraphs, why they matter, and exactly how to teach them—even if you’ve never taught a day in your life.
So…What Are Digraphs?
A digraph is when two letters come together to spell one sound. They’re kind of like a little team—working together to represent a single sound in a word.
For example:
- T on its own spells the sound /t/
- H on its own spells the sound /h/
- But together, th spells the sound /th/, like in thumb or bath
Ta-da! That’s a consonant digraph.
You’ll see digraphs all over Kindergarten books to read, especially in early decodable readers. And when your child is learning to sound it out, being able to recognize digraphs is key to unlocking real words.
Why Digraphs Matter
Here’s the thing: if your child doesn’t recognize digraphs, reading can get really confusing.
Let’s take the word ship. If your child tries to sound it out one letter at a time—/s/ /h/ /i/ /p/—they’ll end up with a word that doesn’t make sense. But if they know that sh spells a single sound? Boom. The word ship becomes easy to read.
Teaching digraphs helps your child:
- Read real words fluently
- Spell more accurately
- Build confidence as a reader
That’s why digraph phonics is such an important step in the reading journey.
How to Teach Digraphs at Home (No Experience Needed!)
You can do this—and it doesn’t have to be complicated! Here’s a simple step-by-step you can repeat again and again.
Step 1: Introduce the Sound
Say:
“This is a digraph. That means two letters come together to spell one sound.”
Then use a visual! Show your child a digraph card (like this one 👉 Get the Digraph Books & Activities).
Now say:
- “T on its own spells /t/.”
- “H on its own spells /h/.”
- “But together, th spells /th/, like in thumb.”
Hold up the card and have your child repeat the sound after you.
Step 2: Brainstorm Words Together
This part is fun and helps build vocabulary too!
- Say: “Can we think of words that have with th?”
- Try: thumb, thick, thin, them, this, thud
- Then switch it up: “What about words that end with sh?”
- Try: wish, dish, wash, fish, brush
Bonus: Find digraphs in the middle of words too, like dishes or bathroom.
Step 3: Sound It Out and Map It
Now we bring it all together with sound mapping—a powerful tool backed by the science of reading.
Let’s try the word chip:
- Say the word: chip
- Stretch it out: /ch/ /i/ /p/
- Map the sounds (use fingers, boxes, or writing)
- Identify that ch spells the first sound
You can do this with any digraph words you come across.
A Handy Digraphs List
Use this as a cheat sheet during reading time! It’s helpful for spotting digraph examples in books and spelling.
Beginning Digraphs:
- sh – ship, shut, shop
- ch – chop, chat, chin
- th – this, that, thick
- wh – what, when, whip
- ph – photo, phone
Ending Digraphs:
- sh – fish, wish, dish
- ch – lunch, rich, beach
- th – bath, path, moth
- ck – sock, back, pick
- ng – ring, king, song
Middle Digraphs:
- ng – hanger, finger
- ch – teacher, kitchen
- ph – dolphin, alphabet
This digraphs list is great to refer back to when your child is reading or writing at home!
Want Ready-to-Go Practice? Grab These Decodable Books!
If you’re ready for your child to practice digraphs in real words and real sentences, these books are the perfect next step.
Click here to get the Consonant Digraph Decodable Books
These books are:
- Created for Kindergarten readers
- Aligned with structured phonics instruction
- Full of digraph words that your child will actually be able to read
- Great for decodable readers kindergarten level
- Super engaging for even the wiggliest learners!
You’ve Got This
Teaching your child to read doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or mysterious.
Just remember:
Two letters. One sound. Sound it out. Map the word.
Start with one consonant digraph at a time. Add in a sound card, brainstorm a few words, map a few more, and then cozy up with a book that lets them try it on their own.
You’re doing the important work. And you’re doing it beautifully.
