1st grade beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th) worksheets
First graders are expected to know the common consonant digraphs on sight: sh as in shell, ch as in chair, th as in thumb. Sorting words by their opening team builds the automatic recognition that turns decoding into smooth reading.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.a.
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The kind of words you'll sort
Write each word from the bank under its beginning sound.
chillshowersharpshadowsheetthenchasethumbchewchimethinkthose
Columns: sh and ch and th. "shadow" belongs under sh; "chime" belongs under ch; "thumb" belongs under th.
Every print pulls a fresh set of word lists at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Sorting. Write each word from the bank under its beginning sound. 15 words per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
The reliable check is the mouth itself: sh pushes air with rounded lips, ch pops like a sneeze, th puts the tongue between the teeth. When a word stalls a reader mid-sort, have them say it to a partner and watch what their mouth does first.
Watch for: A digraph is two letters but only one sound. Ship starts with one sound, not two. Th actually makes two close sounds (thin and this); both are spelled the same way.
Common questions about beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th)
- Why do sh, ch, and th matter so much in 1st grade?
- They appear constantly in early books, and the grade-1 phonics standard expects children to know them cold. A reader who still sounds out s-h-i-p letter by letter stalls; one who sees sh as a unit reads ship in one beat.
- My child mixes up ch and sh. Any tricks?
- Exaggerate the mouth feel: sh is the quiet-in-the-library sound that can stretch forever, while ch is a quick sneeze that can't. Have your child hold each sound as long as possible; ch gives itself away by stopping short.
Related worksheets
- Kindergarten beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th) A step easier, same skill
- 1st grade alphabetical order Same grade, nearby skill
- 1st grade beginning blends (bl, cr, st) Same grade, nearby skill
- 1st grade counting syllables Same grade, nearby skill
- Beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th), all grades The full progression
- All 1st grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 1st grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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