Consonant Blends and Digraphs

Overview

In Lesson 3 of the five-lesson “Sound-to-Word Builders” unit, students distinguish consonant blends, in which each letter keeps its sound, from digraphs, in which two letters represent one sound. Students sort, build, read, and write words with bl, st, sh, ch, th, and wh, building on prior work with individual consonant sounds and short vowels.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Explain the difference between a consonant blend and a digraph.
• Identify the sounds represented by bl, st, sh, ch, th, and wh.
• Decode and build one-syllable words containing blends and digraphs.
• Spell and write words with these patterns.

Success criteria

• I can tell whether a word has a blend or a digraph.
• I can say the sounds in a blend and the single sound in a digraph.
• I can read words with bl, st, sh, ch, th, and wh.
• I can build and write words using these patterns.

Curriculum links

• Grade 2 phonics and word analysis: applying decoding skills to read words.
• Distinguishing and reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
• Applying common spelling-sound correspondences, including vowel teams and consonant patterns.
• Reading and recognizing grade-appropriate words accurately and automatically.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and review. Teacher opens the sound mystery hook and displays the words ship and stop, asking, “Do the first two letters work together in the same way?” Students read the words, say the beginning sounds slowly, and share what they notice. Briefly review that consonants usually represent their own sounds.

2. 7–17 min · Direct teach. Teacher uses the blend and digraph teaching slides to model bl in black and st in stop: /b/ and /l/ are both heard, so they form a blend. Model sh in ship and ch in chip: the two letters work together to represent one sound, so they form a digraph. Students repeat the sounds, tap the sounds on their fingers, and identify whether each example is a blend or digraph. Clarify that th can represent the sound in thin or this.

3. 17–29 min · Sort and explain. Teacher displays the sorting directions on the word-sort directions and gives pairs a set of teacher-prepared word cards: black, blue, stop, step, ship, shop, chin, chop, thin, that, whip, when. Students sort words into “blend” and “digraph” groups, read each word aloud, and explain one choice to a partner. Teacher circulates, listening for accurate sound production and prompting students to point to the letters that provide evidence.

4. 29–42 min · Build and read. Teacher models changing one word by replacing a beginning pattern, such as ship to chip or stop to shop, using letter tiles. Students work in pairs with tiles to build and read words from the word-building challenge slides. Partners take turns selecting a word, building it, touching each letter or letter pair, blending the sounds, and reading the whole word. Include a quick challenge: “Build a word with st. Now change only the vowel.”

5. 42–53 min · Apply in writing. Teacher distributes the blends and digraphs practice worksheet and models completing one item: underline the target pattern, say the sounds, and write the word. Students independently sort several words, complete missing beginning patterns, and write dictated words such as black, stop, ship, chin, thin, and when. Students then write one sentence containing a word with a blend and one containing a word with a digraph. Teacher provides immediate corrective feedback by asking students to reread and check the letters.

6. 53–60 min · Review and exit check. Teacher returns to the review and exit prompt and asks students to explain the difference between a blend and a digraph. Students individually read flag, brush, chest, and whip, identify the beginning pattern in each, and write one blend word and one digraph word on a small piece of paper. Collect responses to identify students who need additional practice in the next lesson.

Resources

• the complete blends and digraphs slide deck
• the blends and digraphs practice worksheet
• Teacher-prepared word cards
• Magnetic letters or letter tiles
• Two sorting mats labeled “Blend” and “Digraph”
• Whiteboard and markers
• Small papers or index cards for the exit check

Assessment

• During modeling and sorting, ask individual students to produce the sounds in bl, st, sh, ch, th, and wh, noting whether they hear two sounds or one.
• During word building, check that students touch and pronounce each letter or letter pair before blending the word.
• Review the worksheet, dictated words, sentences, and exit response. Record students who confuse blends and digraphs or need support decoding th.

Differentiation

• Support: Seat students strategically in pairs, provide a reduced word set, and keep blend/digraph reference labels visible. Use continuous blending and have students stretch words before reading them.
• Additional support for EAL students and students with IEPs: Pair each word with a simple teacher-drawn picture when introducing it, model mouth position for sh, ch, th, and wh, and allow students to respond orally before writing.
• Scaffold writing: Provide the sentence frames “I read the word ___.” and “The word ___ begins with ___.” Students may use tiles to build a word before recording it.
• Extension: Ask students who finish early to create a new one-syllable word with one target pattern, read it to a partner, and explain whether it contains a blend or digraph. Accept real words only and have students check spelling in a classroom dictionary.