Blends and Digraphs: Word Building

Overview

Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 20 students
Year group: Primary 3-4 (ages 7-9)
Unit: Blends and Digraphs Mastery (Lesson 7 of 16)
National Curriculum Links:

English Programme of Study, Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4)
Spelling
- Pupils should be taught to:
  - Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (e.g. –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly) (Year 3)
  - Use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a dictionary (Year 3)
- Recognise and use further homophones and near-homophones (Year 4)
- Use and understand the grammatical terminology: consonant, consonant letter, vowel, vowel letter, letter, word, prefix, suffix, root word, phoneme, grapheme, alternative phoneme (Years 3-4)
Phonics and Word Reading
- Pupils should be able to continue to apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet (Year 3-4)

Learning Objectives (WALT)

WALT: Build and read words by blending different consonant blends and digraphs
Identify blends and digraphs in spoken and written words
Apply blending skills to create and decode new words
Develop phonemic awareness through interactive word-building activities

Success Criteria

I can identify blends and digraphs in words
I can blend sounds together to read new words
I can use letter cards to create words with blends and digraphs
I can explain the difference between a blend and a digraph

Resources

Letter and phoneme cards (including blends such as "bl," "st," and digraphs such as "sh," "ch")
Whiteboards and markers
Worksheet with word-building grids
Magnetic or Velcro letters for group work
Dyslexia-friendly coloured overlays (for reading support)
Visual phoneme charts with images

Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Recap (5 mins)

Recap previous lessons about blends (consonant clusters where all sounds are heard, e.g. "pl," "tr") and digraphs (two letters representing one sound, e.g. "sh," "th").
Use a quick verbal quiz: say words aloud, children raise hands if they hear a blend or digraph.
Differentiation: Use visual cards illustrating each blend/digraph sound for students who need visual support.

2. Guided Practice - Word Building (10 mins)

Activity: In pairs, children use letter cards to build words containing both blends and digraphs (e.g., "ship," "black," "trash," "chip").
Teacher models one example on the board, segmenting and blending sounds as the word is formed.
Pairs take turns to create, read aloud their words, and explain which sounds are blends and which are digraphs.
Differentiation: Lower ability pairs receive sets with fewer letter cards and more familiar blends/digraphs; advanced pairs may experiment with adding suffixes like "-ed" or "-ing" to their words.

3. Independent Activity - Word Grid Worksheet (8 mins)

Children complete a worksheet where they fill grids with blends and digraphs to form meaningful words.
Example: Combine "sh" + "ip" = "ship" or "bl" + "ack" = "black."
They underline the blend or digraph sound in each word.
Dyslexia-Friendly Strategy: Use worksheets printed on cream-coloured paper with a dyslexia-friendly font like OpenDyslexic and larger text spacing.

4. Extension Activity (for advanced learners) (4 mins)

Challenge: Create three new words that use both a blend and a digraph and write simple sentences using these words.
Encourage use of less common blends/digraphs (e.g. "thr," "wh").

5. Plenary & Assessment (3 mins)

Quick-fire verbal game: teacher says a blend or digraph, children shout out a word that contains it.
Ask a few pupils to explain the difference between a blend and digraph in their own words.
Assess by observing participation, listening for correct pronunciation, and checking worksheet completion.

Differentiation Strategies

Visual supports: Use phoneme/letter cards and charts
Paired learning: Allow stronger students to support weaker peers
Reduced complexity: Some pairs work with fewer or more familiar blends/digraphs
Multi-sensory approach: Use magnetic letters for tactile learning
Dyslexia-friendly materials: Special fonts, overlays, and spacing

Additional Notes

Reinforce phoneme-grapheme correspondence to strengthen reading and spelling
Encourage students to continue identifying blends and digraphs during independent reading
Build vocabulary awareness by discussing the meaning of newly created words

This engaging and multi-sensory lesson plan will help children consolidate their understanding of blends and digraphs through practical word building, supporting a core aspect of the English National Curriculum for Key Stage 2.