10 Engaging Digraph Activities for First Grade
Let's be honest: drilling digraph flashcards gets old fast — for students and teachers alike. The good news is that digraph practice doesn't have to be boring. With the right activities, students can get the repetition they need to build automaticity while actually enjoying themselves.
After 20 years in the classroom, these are the digraph activities I come back to again and again because they work. They're hands-on, they're engaging, and they give students the kind of meaningful practice that leads to real mastery.
Why Hands-On Digraph Practice Matters
The Science of Reading emphasizes that phonics instruction should be explicit and systematic — but that doesn't mean it has to be passive. Multisensory activities engage more neural pathways, which strengthens memory and retrieval. When students see, say, hear, and touch phonics patterns, they learn them faster and retain them longer.
All 10 activities below are designed to be used after explicit instruction. They're practice tools, not introduction tools — students should already know the target digraph sounds before using these activities independently.
The 10 Activities
1. Digraph Picture Sort
What you need: Picture cards featuring digraph words (ship, chin, thumb, wheel, etc.), sorting mats labeled sh, ch, th, wh
How it works: Students look at each picture, say the word, identify the digraph sound, and place the card on the correct mat. This activity builds phonemic awareness alongside phonics — students must hear the sound before they can sort it.
Differentiation: For struggling students, limit to two digraphs at a time. For advanced students, add a recording sheet where they write each word after sorting.
2. Digraph Spin and Write
What you need: A spinner divided into sections (sh, ch, th, wh), recording sheet
How it works: Students spin the spinner, identify the digraph, and write two or three words containing that digraph. This combines phonics with encoding practice — a powerful combination.
Tip: Laminate the recording sheet and use dry-erase markers for reusable center practice.
3. Tap and Blend Digraph Words
What you need: Word cards with digraph words, finger tapping routine
How it works: Students tap each phoneme on their fingers (treating the digraph as one tap) and then blend to read the word. For ship: tap /sh/ on one finger, /i/ on the next, /p/ on the next, then sweep to blend.
Why it works: Tapping makes the abstract process of blending concrete and kinesthetic. Students who struggle with blending often respond well to this physical anchor.
4. Digraph Word Building with Letter Tiles
What you need: Letter tiles or magnetic letters, a digraph tile (sh, ch, th, wh as a single unit)
How it works: Students use letter tiles to build digraph words. Provide a digraph tile that keeps the two letters together visually, reinforcing that they work as a team. Students build words like shop, chip, that, when and read each one aloud.
Extension: Students change one letter at a time to build new words (ship → chip → chop → shop).
5. Digraph Pencil Reference Activity
What you need: Phonics helper pencils with digraph keywords, writing activity
How it works: During independent writing, students use their phonics pencils as a reference tool. When they need to spell a digraph word, they check the keyword on their pencil to confirm the sound-symbol connection. This builds independence and self-correction habits.
Why it works: Having a reference tool at their fingertips means students don't have to interrupt their writing to ask for help — they can self-check and keep going.
6. Digraph Hopscotch
What you need: Chalk or tape, open floor space
How it works: Write digraphs in hopscotch squares on the floor or playground. Call out a word and students hop to the square with the matching digraph. For example, call "shell" and students hop to "sh."
Why it works: Movement breaks are powerful for young learners. This activity gets students up and moving while reinforcing digraph sounds — a win-win.
7. Digraph Bingo
What you need: Bingo cards with digraph pictures or words, calling cards, bingo chips
How it works: Call out a word; students find the matching picture or word on their bingo card and cover it. The first student to cover a row calls "Bingo!"
Tip: Use picture bingo cards for students who are still developing reading fluency. Word bingo cards add an extra decoding challenge for more advanced students.
8. Digraph Flip Books
What you need: Pre-made or student-made flip books with a digraph on one side and word endings on the other
How it works: Students flip through the pages to create new words. For example, a "sh" flip book might combine sh + ip, sh + op, sh + ed, sh + ell. Students read each word as they flip.
Why it works: Flip books make word families tactile and visual. Students can see how changing the rime creates new words while the digraph stays constant.
9. Digraph Read and Draw
What you need: Cards with digraph words, blank paper or recording sheet
How it works: Students draw a card, read the digraph word, and draw a picture to represent it. For example, they draw a card that says shell and draw a shell. This activity connects reading to meaning — an important comprehension bridge.
Extension: Students write a sentence using the word after drawing the picture.
10. Digraph Dictation Relay
What you need: Whiteboards and markers, a list of digraph words
How it works: Dictate a digraph word; students write it on their whiteboard and hold it up. Give immediate feedback — thumbs up for correct, quick correction for errors. Move through 8-10 words in about 5 minutes.
Why it works: Whiteboard dictation is fast, low-stakes, and gives you instant formative assessment data. You can see at a glance which students are struggling and with which digraphs.
Tips for Using These Activities in Literacy Centers
- Introduce activities whole-group first before sending students to use them independently in centers.
- Rotate activities weekly to keep engagement high while maintaining consistent practice.
- Pair struggling students with a partner for center activities — peer support can be powerful.
- Keep recording sheets simple so the focus stays on phonics, not on writing mechanics.
- Use activities for multiple digraphs by simply swapping out the target sound — most of these activities are easily adaptable.
Connecting Activities to Assessment
These activities aren't just fun — they're also valuable assessment opportunities. As students work, observe:
- Are they identifying digraph sounds accurately?
- Are they reading digraph words fluently or sounding out each letter?
- Are they spelling digraph words correctly in encoding activities?
- Which specific digraphs are causing confusion?
Use what you observe to inform your small group instruction and determine when students are ready to move on in the phonics sequence.
Ready to Try These Activities?
Digraph mastery is within reach for every student — it just takes the right combination of explicit instruction and engaging practice. These 10 activities give you a full toolkit for making digraph practice meaningful, multisensory, and fun.
For a simple, always-available reference tool, our phonics helper pencils keep digraph keywords at students' fingertips during independent reading and writing. They're a classroom staple that supports digraph practice all day long — not just during phonics time.
Which of these activities is your favorite? Or do you have a go-to digraph activity I didn't mention? Share in the comments!