A free 3-minute check that shows which digraphs your child needs first
One child splits sh, ch and th into two sounds, another reads those but stops at wh, ng and nk, and another is not steady yet on short words. Each needs a different first day. Go through the words with your child; it takes about three minutes.
Already sure this is the problem? Skip the check and see the 10-day plan: Ship and Chip
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Show your child this screen. They read each word. Tap each word your child reads correctly, however slowly.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly. If the two letters of the pair are said apart, it is not correct.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly.
When your child meets a word like ship, what happens most often?
Until now, every letter had its own sound. In a digraph, two letters team up and make one new sound that neither makes alone: s and h make sh. A child who reads letter by letter says s, then h, and the word falls apart. It is common, and digraphs are usually taught in kindergarten and first grade, right after short words. The usual order is sh, ch and th first, then wh, ck, ng and nk.
This is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Splitting a digraph into two sounds does not mean dyslexia. For a child of seven or older, or one who finds reading hard in many ways, talk with the teacher about what you saw.
More help: How to teach digraphs: the guide · Make a free digraph worksheet · How to teach blends: a free check
