Play Digraph Lotto!
Topics: First Grade, Reading
Digraphs are pairings of letters that, together, make only one sound. There are three “biggies” to watch for: “sh,” “ch,” and “th.” As experienced readers, adults may take these combinations for granted, but for early readers, they can be pretty frustrating. After all, kids only just learned the sound of “s” and “h.” It can seem downright unfair that now there’s another sound completely when these letters get together!
Fortunately, you can help—and you can make it fun too. Here’s an activity that gives your child some good practice hunting for digraphs around the house, then turning the finds into a fun game with Mom and Dad!
You Will Need:
- digital camera
- printer; printer paper (2 pieces)
- scissors
- 8-10 index cards
- marker
What to Do:
- Review the following consonant digraphs and their associated sounds with your child:
sh: /sh/, as in shell
ch: /ch/ as in chair
th: /th/, unvoiced, as in thin
th: /th/, voiced, as in then - Look for objects around the house that begin or end with these digraph sounds. Have your child use the digital camera to take photographs of these items. Some suggestions: shaker, fish, brush, shell, shoe, sheets, polish, dish, shovel, chocolate chips, chopper, cherries, watch, chain, thumb, thimble, three, bath, mouth, teeth, cheese, chair, couch, etc.
- Assist your child in printing these pictures, cutting them out, and arranging them so that there are 9 pictures (three rows of three) on a piece of paper. Repeat for another piece of paper, using a different set of pictures.
- Cut the index cards into fourths. Use a marker to write a digraph on each small card. You’ll want at least 9 cards for each digraph. Mix the cards, stack them in a pile, and turn them face down.
- Now it’s time to play! To play, a player picks up the top card and reads the featured digraph. Then, he looks at the pictures on his Digraph Lotto paper, and tries to find one that features the same digraph sound. If he finds a match (and there may be more than one to choose from), he covers that picture on his lotto board with the card. He may only cover one picture per turn. If he cannot find a match, he puts the card on the bottom of the pile, and loses his turn.
- Play continues until one of the players completely covers his playing board.
Liana Mahoney is a National Board Certified elementary teacher, currently teaching a first and second grade loop. She is also a certified Reading Specialist, with teaching experience as a former high school English teacher, and early grades Remedial Reading instructor.
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