15-Minute Lesson Plan: Consonant Blends and Digraphs

Grade Level: Kindergarten–1
Time: 15 minutes
Focus: Identifying and reading consonant blends and digraphs
Materials: K12 Reader Consonant Blends and Digraphs worksheet, pencil, whiteboard or chart paper

Learning Objective

Students will identify consonant blends and digraphs in words and say the sounds they represent.

The K12 Reader resource includes activities covering numerous letter combinations, including blends and digraphs such as CH and TW, and is aligned to foundational reading skills for kindergarten and first grade. (Reading Resources)

1. Warm-Up — 3 Minutes

Write these on the board:

BL SH TR CH

Say each combination aloud and have students repeat.

Explain:

• In a blend, you can hear both consonant sounds: /b/ /l/ in bl.

• In a digraph, two letters work together to make one sound: /sh/ in ship.

Practice together:

BL → blue
TR → tree
SH → ship
CH → chip

Ask students:

“Can you hear both sounds in BL?”
“What sound does SH make?”

2. Teacher Modeling — 3 Minutes

Write:

___at

Show students:

CH + at = chat

Have students say the word slowly.

Then write:

___ip

Try:

SH + ip = ship

Explain that students should look at the beginning of the word, identify the letters, and then blend the sounds together.

Model one blend:

TR + ee = tree

Say each sound:

/t/ /r/ /ē/ → tree

Remind students that blends keep their individual sounds, while digraphs make one combined sound. K12 Reader specifically distinguishes these two types of consonant combinations in its phonics resources. (Reading Resources)

3. Guided Practice — 3 Minutes

Write these words on the board:

frog
ship
blue
chop

Have students identify the beginning blend or digraph.

Ask:

• “What two letters do you see?”

• “Is it a blend or a digraph?”

• “What sound does it make?”

• “Can you say the whole word?”

Answers:

• frog → FR — blend

• ship → SH — digraph

• blue → BL — blend

• chop → CH — digraph

4. Worksheet Practice — 4 Minutes

Give students the K12 Reader worksheet.

Have students work through the first section independently or with a partner.

Encourage them to use this strategy:

Look → Say → Identify → Write

1. Look at the word or picture.

2. Say the word aloud.

3. Identify the blend or digraph.

4. Write the correct letters.

As students work, circulate and ask:

“What sound do you hear first?”

“Do you hear two separate consonant sounds?”

“Which letters work together?”

K12 Reader describes these materials as suitable for classroom use and identifies the resource with CCSS foundational-skills standards RF.K.2.D and RF.1.3.A. (Reading Resources)

5. Quick Exit Check — 2 Minutes

Write:

___rain

Give students a choice:

BR or SH

Students choose:

BR → brain

Then ask:

“Is BR a blend or a digraph?”

Answer: Blend.

For a second quick check:

___ip

Students choose:

SH → ship

Ask:

“What sound does SH make?”

Answer: /sh/

Differentiation

Students needing support:
Practice only 2–3 combinations at a time, such as BL, BR, SH. Have students stretch and repeat each word slowly.

Students working at grade level:
Have students identify the blend or digraph and read the entire word aloud.

Students ready for a challenge:
Ask students to create their own word using a given combination, such as CH, TR, or FL.

Assessment

Listen for students who can:

• Identify common blends and digraphs.

• Distinguish a blend from a digraph.

• Produce the correct sound.

• Blend the sounds into a complete word.

• Write the appropriate letters.

Success Criteria

“I can find blends and digraphs in words, say their sounds, and read the whole word.”

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Posted: 8/27/26