How to Teach Digraphs: sh, ch and th

Reading · Case No. 07

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What the parent saysMy child reads s and h, but not sh. How do I teach digraphs?What we found: the short answer

Here is how to teach digraphs: show that two letters can make one new sound, like sh in ship. Teach one digraph at a time, with a picture and a few words. Practice reading and spelling sh, ch, th, then wh and ck, in words and short sentences.

By Julz, founder of Sound It Out. Updated 2026-10-15.

1What is a digraph?

A digraph is two letters that make one sound. In ship, the s and h work together to make the sh sound.

The most common consonant digraphs are sh, ch, th, wh and ck. They appear in many early words, such as shop, chin, this, when and duck.

Children often read sh as s, h because they know each letter alone. Learning that the two letters work as a team is the key.

US first grade standards include knowing the sounds of common consonant digraphs. Many classes start them in kindergarten.

Digraphs are different from blends such as st or bl, where you can still hear both sounds.

Knowing digraphs makes a huge difference in early books. Words like the, this, that, she and with appear on almost every page.

Digraphs also help spelling. Many spelling mistakes in early writing come from writing one letter for a two-letter sound.

2When to teach digraphs

Teach digraphs once your child knows the single letter sounds and can blend short words like cat and sit.

Your child should read CVC words without much help. Digraph words build on that skill.

If single letter sounds are still shaky, practice those first. Digraphs add a new layer on top.

Many children are ready late in kindergarten or early in first grade.

A quick check: if your child reads cat, sit, hop and bed easily, it is a good time to start.

If your child is in first grade and still unsure of single sounds, spend a little time there first. Digraphs will go much faster afterward.

A short daily review of letter sounds keeps the base strong while digraphs are new.

3How to teach digraphs step by step

Step 1: show sh on a card with a picture of a ship. Say: these two letters are a team. Together they say sh.

Step 2: listen for the sound. Ask: do you hear sh in shop? In sun? Your child gives a thumbs up or down.

Step 3: read words with sh at the start: ship, shop, shed. Then at the end: fish, dish, wish.

Step 4: read short sentences: The fish is in the dish.

Step 5: spell words with sh. Your child writes both letters for the one sound.

Keep the same picture for each digraph every time, such as a ship for sh, a chick for ch and a thumb for th. Consistent pictures help memory.

Read a few digraph words every day, and reread yesterday’s words first.

4Teach one digraph at a time

Start with sh, because its sound is easy to hear and hold. Then teach ch, then th.

Spend a few days on each before adding the next. Review the old ones every day.

Th has two sounds: a quiet one in thin and a buzzy one in this. Teach the quiet one first, then the buzzy one.

Wh usually sounds like w in many American accents, as in when and what. Ck makes the k sound at the end of short words like duck.

Mixing digraphs together comes last, once each one is firm.

Ch can also show up as tch at the end of words like match and catch. Teach that later, once ch is firm.

Point out digraphs in your child’s name, if there are any, such as Chloe or Seth.

Practice this in the free reading appReading games your child can play on a phone, tablet or computer. Every word can be sounded out. No sign-up.Open the app

5Use sound boxes and word mapping

Draw boxes for each sound in a word. Ship has three sounds: sh, i, p. So it gets three boxes.

Your child writes sh together in the first box. This shows that the two letters make one sound.

Compare ship with slip. Slip has four sounds and four boxes, because s and l can both be heard.

Sound boxes help children see the difference between digraphs and blends.

Use them for spelling too. Each box gets the letter or letters for one sound.

Word mapping like this is used in many schools. Asking the teacher how it is done in class lets you match the method at home.

Ask your child to find the team of letters before reading each word.

6How to teach digraphs to kindergarten

Keep it playful for kindergarteners. Use pictures, sound hunts and silly sentences.

Go on a sh hunt around the house: shoe, shirt, shelf. Say each word and listen for sh.

Use a quiet finger for sh, a train chug for ch, and a tongue peek for th. Actions help the sounds stick.

Read only a few digraph words a day. Kindergarteners learn best with short, happy practice.

If it feels too hard, keep practicing CVC words and come back in a few weeks.

Songs and chants also help kindergarteners. A short rhyme for each digraph can make practice feel like play.

Spelling with sound boxes is a quiet activity that works well at the table.

7Fun digraph games

Digraph sort: sort pictures by sh, ch and th.

Fishing game: write digraph words on paper fish with a paper clip and catch them with a magnet.

Word building: use letter tiles to build ship, then change it to shop, then chop.

Bingo with digraph words, or a roll and read game with a die.

Read a short story and hunt for every word with a digraph.

Change the game every day or two, but keep practicing the same digraphs. Familiar words in new games build both skill and interest.

Hunt for digraphs on signs and food boxes when you are out.

8Digraph word lists to practice

Sh words: ship, shop, shed, shut, fish, dish, wish, cash.

Ch words: chin, chop, chat, chip, much, such, rich.

Th words: thin, thick, bath, math, with, then, this, that.

Wh words: when, whip, whiz. Ck words: duck, back, sock, kick, neck.

Read one list a day, then mix two lists once both are firm.

Sh and ch sentences: The ship is in the shop. Chip has a chick. Th sentences: This is a thin moth. Short sentences like these show digraphs inside real reading.

Keep a small digraph chart on the table during practice. Your child can point to the team and its picture whenever a word looks tricky.

Practice reading digraphs at the end of words too, as in fish and much, because some children only notice them at the start.

9What to do when digraphs are hard

If your child says s, h for sh, cover the two letters together with one finger. Say: this team says sh.

If your child mixes up ch and sh, practice the two sounds by ear first. Shop and chop, ship and chip.

If th is hard to say, that can be a speech sound that develops later. Accept your child’s best try, and ask a speech-language pathologist if you are worried.

If digraphs stay hard after steady practice, a free check can show which earlier step needs work.

Short daily practice works better than long sessions for these sounds.

Some children confuse th with f or v when speaking. That is a speech pattern, and reading practice should not turn into speech correction.

Short, regular practice is the best help for any tricky sound.

10Signs your child knows digraphs

Your child reads sh, ch and th words correctly, at the start and end of words.

Your child spells digraph words with both letters.

Your child can tell a digraph from a blend in words like ship and slip.

Your child reads digraph words in sentences and books.

Then your child is ready for silent e and vowel teams.

Keep reviewing digraphs in books even after they are learned. Seeing them often keeps them quick and easy.

Praise your child for spotting a digraph in a new book.

Quick tips

• Start with sh, then ch, then th.
• Use one picture for each digraph.
• Show the two letters as one team.
• Use sound boxes for reading and spelling.
• Review old digraphs every day.
• Keep games short and playful.

Make these worksheets, free

• CVC word generator
• Word search maker for kids
• Roll and read worksheet generator

Not sure where to start? Get a free plan for your child

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