Swing Through the Branches and Practice 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 recognizing 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!

This resource is available to download in Google Slides 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 teacher in Michigan and 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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Th Word List and Digraph Flashcards

Practice reading and spelling words with the Digraph TH with a list of 50 words and accompanying illustrated flash cards.

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Ph Digraph Lesson Resource Pack

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

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Common Blends and Digraphs Bookmarks

These bookmarks are designed to help students remember some of the most common blends and digraphs while reading.