Teaching your kids how to read with Digraphs and Diphthongs

The Importance of Phonics

Phonics develops children’s understanding of language structure and lays the groundwork for literacy. It also impacts positively on their reading, spelling as well as writing abilities. In addition, phonics teaching has been found to improve comprehension during reading, vocabulary development and general academic performance.

Basically, phonics reading is like a keystone in literacy training since it helps children attain confidence in their English learning skills that they will use in class or outside school walls.

This article will take us into deeper study about digraphs and diphthongs which are two fundamental elements that make up English Phonetics.

Understanding Digraphs

Digraph is a Greek word that actually describes two letters that come together. In simple terms Digraphs are letters that combine. When you merge the letters, they make a word. The sound of two or more letter combination is different from the sounds made by each individual letter that makes up the combination unlike in consonant blends.

Types of Digraphs:

Consonant Digraphs: They occur when two consonants are combined to give one sound. It is illustrated by ‘ph’ in “phone” and ‘wh’ in “whale”.

Vowel Digraphs: These have two vowel letters that produce one sound when used together; for example, ‘ea’ in “beach” and ‘ee’ in “tree.”

Blends and Digraphs

Whereas, digraphs are composed of two letters that make one sound, blends often comprise pairs or clusters of letters each keeping their sounds. For example, the term “blend” itself is actually a blend with b and l both retaining their individual sounds.

Understanding Diphthongs

These are like two vowels meeting in order to produce one sound; differing from digraphs where it is a combination of two letters that make one sound. You say the diphthong by sliding your tongue easily between two vowels. It is an interesting thing, isn’t it?

Types of Diphthongs:

Closing Diphthongs: These diphthongs end in a closer vowel sound. Examples include 'oi' in "coin" and 'oy' in "boy."

Opening Diphthongs: These diphthongs start with a more open vowel sound. Examples include 'ou' in "cloud" and 'ow' in "cow."

How to Practice:

Read the following story and underline the digraphs and cirle the dipththongs.

Once upon a time in "Digraphville", the letters were proud of their pronunciation. Ee and oo were giddy, oi and ou were merry, ch and sh were sly. They liked joining each other and forming words hence they would sometimes spend hours perfecting their sounds.

The letters decided to stage a play for the townsfolk one day. In the town square they gathered and began reciting poems as well as singing songs, all filled with digraphs and diphthongs. As a result of this performance, townspeople could not hide their joy but burst into clapping.

Afterward, a shy girl called Sonia went up to them. She dreaded speaking in public ever since she was little though she just managed to do it once in her life long ago. Seeing that show however made her want to attempt it. With that, she opened her mouth wide and said ‘Hello everyone I am Sonia’.

The people from town could not believe what had happened thereon that evening. Her voice was so pure and confident; sounding like some nice music because it had been written with pharyngeal fricatives like f’ or /θ/. The letters felt incredibly proud of Sonia’s achievements, embracing her warmly.

Sonia was never scared of talking at gatherings starting from then on. On many occasions she also performed together with other letters thus being named “Digraph Queen”. People loved Sonia so much in town mainly because they always loved listening to what she said too often.

Now that we have a grasp about digraphs and diphthongs, let’s find out some enjoyable ways in which phonics can be practiced:

Word Games:

Play games of words with your child where he or she identifies the digraphs and diphthongs in everyday words. For instance, play the “Word Detective” where children will identify certain digraphs or diphthongs while around the house or during outside activities. This way of interaction sparks an interest and reinforces phonics rules in a playful manner thus turning language experimentation into an exciting voyage of discovery.

Read Aloud:

Choose books that emphasize phonics rules and read aloud together with your child, encouraging him or her to spot digraphs and diphthongs as they are reading. Foster love for reading as well as phonemic awareness by choosing books that showcase digraphs and diphthongs prominently, then read them out aloud together with your child. Ask questions like ‘where is the ch sound in this story’ and ‘what diphthong did you hear from that sentence?’ to prompt active participation on their behalf. When using these two types of words during storytelling sessions, you can create an immersive teaching environment that involves your creative thinking student’s imagination and strengthens their phonics knowledge.

Flashcards:

Design flashcards for words containing digraphs and diphthongs. Flashcards can be individualized by having words with digraphs and diphthongs. Challenge your child read them out loud after mixing them and give him/her a lot of encouragement for each flashcard that he/she pronounces correctly. Use word like “boy,” “rain,” “ship,” and “goat” to help children see digraphs and diphthongs in use. Flashcards are useful tools to enhance phonics understanding and speed up reading progress when they are repeated over time.

Online Resources:

There is a vast range of interactive phonics games that kids can engage in while on the internet hence helping them understand how to apply different phonics rules. Such websites as ABCmouse.com or Starfall.com have games, videos, or lessons which have been designed according to various learning styles and are preferred by many children. These platforms provide children with an opportunity to develop their own phonics skills through resources such as virtual flashcards or interactive quizzes thereby allowing them some independence as well as confidence throughout this process of learning.

Read more: Phonics Classes For kids [Live] | Young Readers Program

While the above-mentioned ways surely help the kids learn the basics of phonics. However, to make your child a master in phonics, enrol him today in the “Young Readers Program” on Bambinos.live. This way, incorporating these practices with an educator into your child’s daily routine will guarantee their success in reading!

In summary, teaching children to read using digraphs and diphthongs is an amazing experience. A little patience mixed with practice along with a dash of entertainment will soon transform your child into a fluent reader who reads confidently all the time.

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Article Author

Kanishka Chawla

Kanishka Chawla is a Award-winning Educator ⭐️ Inspirational Speaker ✨ Holistic Well-being Advocate. With over a decade of experience in personal development and empowerment, Kanishka Chawla is a highly respected figure in the field. As an accomplished Author, Life Coach, and Internationally Certified NLP Trainer, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals unlock their full potential and lead fulfilling lives. She has inspired individuals to overcome obstacles, tap into their true potential, and lead more fulfilling lives through her teachings and inspirational talks.

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