What is a digraph in kindergarten terms?

Two letters holding hands to make one brand-new sound. Ship doesn't start with s and then h; it starts with the single whooshy sh sound. Kids usually love that the letters "team up," and the idea carries straight into first-grade phonics.

Should my kindergartner already read these words?

Not necessarily. The goal at this age is hearing and matching the beginning sound, not reading every word fluently. Read the word aloud together, stretch the first sound, and let your child point to the right column.

Kindergarten beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th)

Kindergarten beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th) worksheets

A digraph is a two-letter team that makes a single new sound: sh, ch, and th are the first ones most readers meet. Kindergartners sort picture-friendly words by their beginning team, hearing one sound where their eyes see two letters.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.K.3.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll sort

Write each word from the bank under its beginning sound.

cheapcheerthatshyshirtchickchainthosethunderthinksharkshape

Columns: sh and ch and th. "shark" belongs under sh; "chick" belongs under ch; "thunder" belongs under th.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a kindergarten sheet

Kindergarten sheets draw from 90 words, 15 to a page. Kindergarten and 1st grade print from the same 90 words. What changes is the standard (RF.K.3 here) and the teaching notes below.

Some of the words:

shareshortshadowshavechopcheesethumbthatchthighthing

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

Say each word slowly and let your child repeat it with a hand on their chin: ship has one opening sound, not a s-then-h. Sorting aloud works better than sorting silently, and hunting for the day's digraph on cereal boxes and street signs makes it stick.

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 kindergarten beginning digraphs (sh, ch, th)

What is a digraph in kindergarten terms?: Two letters holding hands to make one brand-new sound. Ship doesn't start with s and then h; it starts with the single whooshy sh sound. Kids usually love that the letters "team up," and the idea carries straight into first-grade phonics.
Should my kindergartner already read these words?: Not necessarily. The goal at this age is hearing and matching the beginning sound, not reading every word fluently. Read the word aloud together, stretch the first sound, and let your child point to the right column.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core RF.K.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated August 2026.

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