Have you ever noticed how some students can read a word like block with ease, while others stumble over ship or chop? That’s the tricky world of blends and digraphs. Knowing which to teach first and how to practice them can make all the difference in your students’ phonics success. With the right order and engaging activities, even your wiggliest kinders can master these tricky sounds while having fun. Let’s talk blends and digraphs!
Blends vs. Digraphs: What to Teach First and Why
When teaching early readers, one of the most common questions is whether to introduce blends or digraphs first. Both are essential building blocks of phonics, but starting with blends often gives students a smoother entry into more complex sound patterns.
Beginning blends like bl, cl, st, sl, sm, and sn allow students to practice “stretching” the sounds and hearing each phoneme clearly. Digraphs, on the other hand, are two letters that work together to make a single sound, like sh, ch, th, wh, and ph. They’re trickier at first because students cannot use their knowledge of letter sounds to decode the words.
Why Teaching Order Matters for Blends and Digraphs
Starting with the right skill first helps students build confidence and reduces frustration. Beginning blends like bl, cl, st, and sn are easier to stretch and hear individually. Students can hear each sound separately and blend them together, which makes the concept of “two sounds together” more concrete. Start here!
Digraphs like sh, ch, th, and wh are different because two letters work together to make a single sound. If students try digraphs too early, they may confuse them with separate sounds, making decoding trickier.
Blends allow students to continue practicing the decoding skills they were taught with CVC words. This gives students a solid foundation before adding ‘exceptions’ to the mix. Once students are decoding and blending well, they have the brain space to start adding new rules to follow. Digraphs are the next step that adds another level of complexity. When you follow this progression, kids are less likely to get stuck and more likely to see themselves as capable readers.
Teaching Beginning Blends
When you start with blends, focus on continuous sounds that are easier to stretch, such as /f/, /l/, /m/, /n/, and /s/. Some good starter words are flag, slam, and frog. If students struggle to hear the sounds, encourage them to focus on their mouth movements. With continuous sound blends, their mouths will change position for each sound.
Avoid starting with “stop” sounds like /b/ or /t/ in blends right away, as these are harder to stretch and hear individually. The second sound is very short, making it harder to hear.
To get started, have students orally stretch the sounds first. Say a word, like flag, and have students repeat the word back to you sound by sound – /f/-/l/-/a/-/g/. The next step is to connect those sounds to the letters. You can do this through writing the letters or using counters, blocks, or even tapping each sound with fingers. Repetition is key, and the more students can hear and say the sounds clearly, the easier it will be to map them to print later.
Introducing Digraphs
Once students are comfortable with blends, it’s time for digraphs. Start by explicitly explaining that two letters make one sound. Keep your language simple and playful, like this:
“Today I want to tell you about a special reading rule. You already know that the letter s says /s/ and the letter h says /h/. But. . . when these two letters are together, they make a new sound. When you see ‘sh’ in a word, they will say /sh/. Let’s practice. Look at the word ‘shop’. Do you see the sh? Can you point at it? What sound does ‘sh’ make? Now let’s read the rest of the word. /sh/ /o/ /p/ – shop.“
You can continue to practice this with other words, too. Model the sound slowly, have students echo it, and then give them lots of opportunities to see and write the digraph in words. Using a multisensory approach with tracing, tapping out the sound, or building with blocks helps students internalize that these two letters always work together.
When it comes to both of these skills, keep in mind that practice and review are an absolute MUST. Short, daily practice with blending and decoding is more effective than long, infrequent lessons. And. . . don’t forget about practicing these skills with games and activities in your small groups and centers.
Fun Classroom Activities to Teach Blends and Digraphs
No matter where your students fall in their skill level, I’ve got some great activities that can support practice with both blends and digraphs. These hands-on, engaging games are perfect for literacy centers, partner work, morning tubs, or guided reading warm-ups.
Phonics Word Search Puzzles
Word search puzzles are a hands-on way for students to practice blends and digraphs while strengthening spelling and letter recognition. The word searches we use are kid-friendly and fun, too!
Each puzzle has students start by identifying the picture, saying the word aloud, and writing it on the lines. Then they search for the word in the puzzle and circle or highlight it once found. Encouraging students to check off each word after finding it helps them practice organization and tracking skills.
In the classroom, these puzzles work well as independent practice for early finishers or as part of a literacy center rotation. They can also be used as morning work to reinforce skills from the previous day. This activity gives students a structured, self-contained way to practice spelling and sound patterns while keeping them engaged with a fun, puzzle-like challenge.
I have options for both Blends Word Searches and Digraph Word Searches, so you can stay focused on the skill your kids need to work on.
Cover it Up Games
Cover It Up Games are perfect for quick, low-prep practice of blends and digraphs. To use, students place counters, bingo chips, or markers to cover words on a sheet as they read them aloud. These sheets can be reused multiple times, allowing several students to practice the same skill at once.
In the classroom, Cover It Up Games are ideal as guided reading warm-ups while everyone settles in. Students can also play independently or in small groups for quick review. To keep practice fresh, you can rotate sheets or let students color or daub the words instead of covering them with counters. This game reinforces listening, reading, and word pattern recognition in an interactive and engaging way!
Target blends specifically with these sheets, or focus on digraphs with these.
Make a Square Partner Games
Make a Square Games turn blends and digraphs practice into a fun, competitive partner activity. Students take turns connecting dots to form squares on a board or sheet. To claim a square, they must correctly read or spell the word or identify the picture. If they can’t, their partner has a chance to “steal” the square, adding a strategic element to the game. Everyone LOVES this one, so it’s great to use when engagement needs a boost!
In the classroom, these games are perfect for pairing students during early finisher tasks or literacy centers. They encourage turn-taking and collaboration while building reading skills. The difficulty can be adjusted by using pages that feature pictures or words. And since I’ve got a set for blends as well as a separate set for digraphs, you can align these to each of your students’ skill levels!
Bringing it All Together
Introducing blends first, then layering in digraphs, gives students a structured path to phonics mastery. Blends strengthen students’ ability to hear and blend individual sounds, while digraphs challenge them to listen for and recognize new sounds.
Targeted activities that are fun and engaging help reinforce your lessons and give your students a chance to practice these skills over and over again. By offering a mix of independent Word Search Puzzles, hands-on Cover It Up Games, and partner-friendly Make a Square activities, you can meet your students exactly where they are and support growth for every skill level!
Grab These Blends and Digraphs Activities Today!
Don’t wait to get started! These hands-on activities make practicing blends and digraphs fun and effective! Click the images below to grab all of these activities in my TPT store and bring engaging, ready-to-use phonics practice straight into your classroom. Your students will love the games, and you’ll love how easy it is to implement them!
Looking for More?
Check out these posts next for more help teaching phonics skills!
- 5 Fun Ways to Practice CVC Words
- 3 Simple Steps for Phonics Progression Beyond CVC Words
- Phonics Games to Practice Blending Sounds
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