Swing Through the Branches and Practise Identifying the Th Consonant Digraph

Teaching the “th” digraph is often one of the initial digraphs introduced to early learners, and there are several reasons for this:

• Early reading words often contain this consonant digraph
• The “th” digraph involves two different sounds: voiced (/ð/) as in “this” and voiceless (/θ/) as in “think.” Teaching these sounds early on helps learners develop the ability to distinguish between subtle sound differences, which is crucial for effective phonemic awareness.
• The ‘th’ digraph is visually distinctive, and recognising it in words becomes an essential skill. 

This fun sloth-themed interactive activity has been created by an experienced teacher with little learners at the forefront of the design. The activities students will complete include:

1. Look at pictures, decide if the object contains the ‘th’ sound, and use a tick or a cross to show their understanding.
2. Sorting words into a ‘th’ list and a ‘not th’ list.
3. Type in the correct word in for a set of four pictures, including – thimble, thermos, think, and teeth.
4. Read a simple sentence that contains a word with the ‘th’ digraph and match an image to each sentence.
5. Sorting real and nonsense words that include the ‘th’ digraph.
6. Look at pictures and decide which word matches the image. x 4.
7. Finding ‘th’ digraph in a small paragraph of writing.
8. Plus more!

How to Use This Interactive Activity in the Classroom

Here are some suggestions for using this ch digraph interactive activity in the classroom environment.

• Use it as a whole-class warm-up activity or check-in activity. You could complete one slide each day for a week to get their brains pumping!
• Set up individual laptops at a small group station during English rotations and have this as one of the activities students need to complete. Make sure they save their completed slides on their computers so you can check for understanding. 
• Send it home as a homework task for students to practise their knowledge of the ch digraph. 

Download and Build Knowledge Today!

Use the drop-down menu to choose between the PowerPoint version or the Google Slide version of this resource. It is important that students use this activity in ‘edit’ mode to ensure the interactive features work properly.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Consonant Digraph Resources

If you’re looking for more consonant digraph resources to add to your phonics lessons, we have you covered…

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Consonant Digraph Sound Wall Cards

Guide students through phonics with these consonant digraph sound wall cards for a classroom display.

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Ng Digraph Lesson Resource Pack

Introduce students to the ng digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.

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Consonant Digraphs Poster Pack

Expose your students to the most common consonant digraphs with this set of 9 posters.