FREE Printable Digraph Game: Snowman Spin and Build a Fort Activity

Ready to help kindergarten and grade 1 students work on digraphs to improve reading and decoding skills with a fun winter activity for kindergarten. This free printable digraph game has a fun snowman theme to make it extra engaging for kids. Use this ch sh th wh digraph activity to learn what is a digraph and have fun improving phonics skills!

Digraph Game

Teaching digraphs is a crucial part of phonics instruction in early elementary education. Digraphs are pairs of letters that make a single sound, like “sh,” “ch,” “th,” and “ph.” Helping kindergartners and grade 1 students to recognize these combinations strengthens their reading and decoding skills. This fun digraph game is perfect for playing in winter to improve phonics skills while having fun! Simply print and you are ready to play our Snowman Spin and Build a Fort reading game!

What is a digraph

So, what exactly is a digraph? In linguistics, a digraph refers to a combination of two letters that represent one sound. It may seem confusing at first glance, but trust me, you encounter digraphs more often than you realize! Let’s take a closer look:

Digraph Examples:

• “ch” – In words like “challenge” or “cheese,” the letters “c” and “h” come together to create the unique “ch” sound.
• “ph” – This digraph is commonly found in words like “phone” or “graph.” “P” and “h” work together to give us the “f” sound.
• “sh” – When combined, “s” and “h” produce the lovely “sh” sound, often heard in words like “ship” or “shampoo.”

Why does this matter? Well, learning about digraphs helps us understand the English language better and can improve our pronunciation. It can also be extremely valuable for our young learners, as it prepares them for reading and spelling.

Here’s some evidence supporting the importance of teaching digraphs

• A study conducted by researchers Alamina Madhany and Gail E. Joseph at the College of Education, University of Washington, found that introducing digraph activities early in education can significantly enhance students’ phonics skills. [1]
• The National Reading Panel, a comprehensive report issued by the U.S. government, also emphasized the significance of teaching phonics and phonemic awareness, including digraphs, to develop essential reading skills in children. [2]

Ready to work on digraphs with yours students? Let’s take a peak at this fun digraph activity

Digraph Activity

Spinner activities add an element of excitement to learning while targeting specific skills. When it comes to teaching digraphs, spinner games engage students and make the learning process enjoyable. They encourage active participation and offer a chance for repeated practice in a playful way.

How to use these snowman spin task cards.

The Snowman Spinner Digraph Game is a fantastic hands-on activity that helps students reinforce their understanding of beginning digraphs in words. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use these task cards effectively in the classroom:

ch sh th wh

This fun, hands-on snowman activity is perfect for working on ch sh th wh digraphs

Preparation:

1. Introduction: Introduce the Snowman Spinner Digraph Game to the class. Explain that they will be spinning a snowman spinner to identify a beginning digraph and find words that match that digraph.
2. Materials: Ensure that each student has a snowman spinner and the corresponding task cards with words containing beginning digraphs (e.g., words starting with “sh,” “ch,” “th,” or “ph”). Additionally, provide cotton balls or snowball cutouts for covering the words.

Snowman games

Let me show you how to play and make use of this fun phonics game!

Implementation:

1. Spin and Identify: Have the students take turns spinning the snowman spinner. As they spin, they should identify the beginning digraph indicated by the spinner.
2. Word Search: Once they identify the digraph, instruct them to find a word on their task card that begins with that specific digraph. For instance, if the spinner lands on “ch,” they search for a word starting with “ch” on their task card.
3. Covering Words: When a student finds a word matching the spun digraph, they cover it with a cotton ball or a snowball cutout. This adds a fun, tactile element to the game.
4. Continuation: Encourage students to take turns spinning the snowman spinner and finding words until they’ve covered all the words on their task card.

Encouragement and Reinforcement:

1. Positive Encouragement: Celebrate each student’s success and participation throughout the activity. Positive reinforcement fosters engagement and enthusiasm.
2. Support and Guidance: Offer guidance and support to students who might need help identifying words or understanding specific digraphs. This personalized assistance ensures everyone stays involved.

Winter activity for kindergarten

Conclusion and Extension:

1. Review Session: Gather the class to review the words and digraphs they’ve worked on. This recap reinforces their learning and provides an opportunity for discussion.
2. Extension Activities: Consider additional digraph-related activities such as creating digraph word charts, playing memory games with digraph cards, or engaging in digraph-themed writing exercises to further solidify their understanding.

By following these steps and incorporating engaging activities like the Snowman Spinner Digraph Game, educators can make learning digraphs interactive and enjoyable while reinforcing essential phonics skills in young learners.