If you've ever heard a child read "shop" as "sap", or "chop" as "cop", you already know why digraph words are a big deal. Two letters making one sound can completely throw off a new reader—especially if those letters don’t follow the rules they’ve just mastered in CVC words.
Teaching digraphs isn’t just about giving kids more patterns to memorize. It’s about helping them understand how sounds and letters interact, so they can approach every new word with confidence—not confusion. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to teach digraph words effectively, from the brain science behind sound-symbol correspondence to the best tools, routines, and decodable texts to use.
Whether you're a parent, tutor, or classroom teacher, this is your science-backed guide to making digraphs stick.
1. What Are Digraph Words and Why Are They So Tricky?
A digraph is a pair of letters that come together to make one sound. The most common consonant digraphs are:
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sh as in ship
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ch as in chop
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th as in thin or this
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wh as in when
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ck as in duck
What makes digraphs tricky is that kids are taught early on that each letter makes a sound. Suddenly, they’re told to treat two letters as one. That shift can confuse even strong readers if it's not taught explicitly.
The solution? Direct, systematic instruction that builds the concept and gives students lots of meaningful practice using real decodable books and clear sound-symbol mapping.
2. The Brain Science: Why Digraphs Must Be Taught Explicitly
Reading isn't something the brain does naturally—it’s a skill we build through repeated connection of sounds (phonemes) and symbols (graphemes). For most students, this doesn’t happen through exposure alone—it requires intentional instruction.
Here’s what the research tells us:
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Students need to see, hear, say, and write digraphs repeatedly before the connection sticks.
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The brain stores these patterns through a process called orthographic mapping, which relies on phonemic awareness and sound-symbol alignment.
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Without clear instruction, students guess. And guessing is the enemy of confident reading.
That’s why I never introduce digraphs casually or randomly. I start with hands-on activities, build with sound drills, and reinforce with decodables that use the target pattern over and over again in meaningful context.
3. When to Introduce Digraphs in Your Phonics Sequence
Timing matters. I don’t teach digraphs until students are solid with:
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Letter-sound correspondence for consonants
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CVC word blending and segmenting
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Short vowel sound mastery
Once those foundational skills are secure, I begin introducing digraphs—usually around the time students are fluent with CVC words and beginning simple phrases.
This typically lines up with early first grade, making 1st grade decodable books the perfect place to reinforce digraph instruction. These books allow for structured progression and limit exposure to untaught patterns, making them ideal for building reading confidence.
4. Step-by-Step: How I Teach Digraph Words
Here’s how I approach digraphs from introduction to fluency:
Step 1: Start with Sound First
I begin by introducing the sound itself with no letters. I’ll say, “Let’s talk about the sound /sh/. Put your finger to your lips like you’re whispering.” We explore the sound through movement, sound discrimination, and mouth placement.
Step 2: Match the Sound to the Letters
Once the sound is familiar, I introduce the grapheme (e.g., sh). We practice building and reading words with the digraph in the beginning, middle, and end: shop, dish, fish, rush.
Step 3: Use Visual Aids and Tools
I pull out phonics flashcards with clear visuals to reinforce sound-to-symbol mapping. Flashcards help with fluency and make quick daily warm-ups easy and effective.
Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice
Students read and write digraph words daily. Dictation, sorting, games, sound boxes, and repeated exposure to the same sound pattern are critical.
Step 5: Read in Context
This is where controlled text becomes critical. I never give students a book full of unknown patterns. Instead, I use orton gillingham decodable readers that intentionally limit the phonics focus to what they’ve already learned—so every word is fair game.
5. Tools That Make Digraph Instruction Stick
Teaching digraphs doesn’t require fancy tech—but it does require consistency and thoughtful tools. Some of my go-to supports include:
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Sound boxes with color-coded chips
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Digraph blending drills
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Magnetic letter kits for word building
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Mouth cue posters (showing how to form /th/, /sh/, /ch/, etc.)
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Cumulative word lists for dictation and reading
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Hands-on games for sorting, matching, and building words
But most importantly, I use decodable books that emphasize digraphs. Students need the satisfaction of applying what they’ve learned—not guessing through leveled readers that are loaded with irregular words.
6. Avoid These Common Mistakes When Teaching Digraphs
Many well-meaning educators unintentionally make digraph instruction harder than it needs to be. Here are some traps to avoid:
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Introducing too many digraphs at once – Start with one (usually sh), then add others slowly.
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Skipping the sound work – Don’t just show students the letters. They need to isolate and produce the sound first.
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Not reviewing previously taught digraphs – Orthographic mapping takes time. Spiral digraphs back into instruction for weeks.
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Jumping to advanced words too early – Stick with simple, single-syllable words until fluency improves.
7. Building Automaticity with Digraphs
To build automatic reading with digraph words, I use a spiraled approach:
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Warm-ups: 1–2 minutes of oral reading with digraph flashcards
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Dictation: 3–5 words a day using known digraphs and vowel sounds
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Cumulative sentence reading: Short daily fluency sentences
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Weekly review: Re-teach previously learned digraphs using word sorts or mini-lessons
This slow-but-steady repetition is what leads to true fluency. It’s not about racing through every sound—it’s about building mastery, one pattern at a time.
8. How to Help When Students Mix Up Digraphs
It’s normal for students to confuse similar digraphs like /ch/ and /sh/ or the two forms of /th/. The key is contrast. I explicitly compare sounds:
“Let’s say shop and chop. What’s different? Feel your mouth. Listen carefully.”
I also pair sounds with gestures and pictures to help anchor the distinction. For students who continue to struggle, I increase multisensory review and give more repetition through structured reading practice.
9. Final Thoughts: Why Digraphs Are a Turning Point in Reading
Mastering digraphs is a big leap for early readers. It’s the point where they begin to realize, “Letters can work together to make new sounds.” And that concept unlocks a whole new world of decoding possibilities.
But it doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through intentional, explicit, and cumulative instruction. Through meaningful repetition. Through thoughtfully designed decodable books. And through the kind of support that turns struggle into skill.
When you teach digraphs with structure and purpose, you’re not just helping a child read a word—you’re giving them a tool they’ll use for life.