Digraph Sound Detectives

Overview

Students practise hearing, reading, and saying common digraphs: sh, ch, th, and ee. Through explicit modelling, oral blending, and a quick hands-on sorting task, students connect each digraph to the sound it represents and read simple words.

Learning intentions

• WALT hear and identify common digraphs in words.
• WALT say the sound represented by sh, ch, th, and ee.
• WALT blend digraphs with other sounds to read simple words.
• WALT use a digraph sound card to help us read and sort words.

Success criteria

• I can explain that a digraph is two letters working together to represent one sound.
• I can say the sounds for sh, ch, th, and ee.
• I can identify the digraph in a simple word.
• I can read at least three words containing a digraph.

Curriculum links

• English — Writing Processes: Planning, including planning a short series of sentences through talk and thinking carefully before writing.
• English — Teaching considerations: Planning and drafting, including building sufficient knowledge to support meaningful writing.
• English — Writing Processes: Planning across the first two years, developing oral language and sound-to-letter knowledge to support writing.

Lesson structure (10 minutes)

1. 0–1 min · Hook. Open with the mystery sound hook slide and say, “Two letters are hiding together. Can they make one sound?” Students listen as the teacher says sh, then make the sound together without adding an extra vowel sound.

2. 1–3 min · Explicit teaching. Use the digraph teaching slides to introduce sh, ch, th, and ee, showing each digraph clearly and modelling the sound. Explain: “A digraph is two letters working together to represent one sound.” Students repeat each sound, watching the teacher’s mouth and using a quiet hand signal when they hear the target sound.

3. 3–6 min · Hands-on sound sort. Give pairs a small set of cards from the phonics sound cards. Ask students to find the sh, ch, th, and ee cards, say each sound, and place the cards into four groups. The teacher moves between pairs, checking pronunciation and prompting: “What sound do these two letters make together?”

4. 6–8 min · Read and blend. Show the example words on the blending practice slides: shop, chip, thin, and sheep. Model continuous blending, then blend each word with the class. Students tap or point to each grapheme, say the sounds, and read the whole word; invite confident readers to read one word independently.

5. 8–9 min · Quick individual check. Point to three digraphs and three words on the quick-check slide. Students whisper-read the items to a partner, then each student reads one selected item to the teacher or teaching assistant. Correct errors immediately by returning to the digraph sound and blending again.

6. 9–10 min · Plenary and exit response. Display the plenary slide and ask, “What is a digraph?” Students turn to a partner and complete: “A digraph is ___ letters that make ___ sound.” Finish by having each student say one digraph and its sound before leaving the group.

Resources

• the complete digraph teaching deck
• the phonics sound cards
• Small whiteboards and pens, or mini chalkboards
• Teacher’s phonics word list: shop, chip, thin, sheep
• Optional counters or tapping fingers for phoneme blending
• Individual reading record or observation checklist

Assessment

• Listen during the sound sort for accurate pronunciation of each digraph and note students who confuse th with f or sh with ch.
• During blending, check whether students treat the two letters in a digraph as one sound rather than saying each letter name.
• Record each student’s response during the quick check: secure, developing, or requires reteaching.

Differentiation

• Support: Teach only two digraphs first, such as sh and ch, while other students practise all four. Use large, uncluttered cards, clear mouth modelling, repetition, and continuous blending.
• Dyslexia-friendly options: Use a plain sans-serif font, large dark print on a pale background, generous spacing, and minimal visual clutter. Allow students to respond orally, point to a card, or use a counter rather than copy words.
• EAL support: Pair each digraph with the picture on the sound card, demonstrate the mouth movement, and avoid requiring students to explain the term “digraph” before they can show understanding.
• Extension: Ask advanced readers to generate or read another word for each digraph, then orally use one word in a short sentence. They may write the sentence on a whiteboard, underlining the digraph.

Extension

• Revisit the four digraph cards during the next phonics session and ask students to sort new words by sound.
• Invite students to become “sound detectives” during independent reading by finding and recording one digraph word.