Lumira

Consonant digraph

The ch digraph

A word list, a complete free decodable book, and how to teach this pattern — all drawn from Lumira's structured phonics curriculum.

All phonics patterns › The ch digraph

What is a consonant digraph?

In a digraph, two letters work together to make a single new sound that neither letter makes on its own. Readers need to be taught explicitly that the pair is one sound, or they will try to blend two.

The ch digraph — word list

Every word below appears in the decodable book on this page, so a reader who practises the list will meet the same words again in context.

Free decodable book: Decodable Digraph CH

This is an original Lumira decodable reader, written so that a child can sound out nearly every word using patterns they have already been taught. The full text is below — read it here, or open it in the app to read it together with the words highlighting as you speak.

Chip had a chin. Kit had a chin. Chip and Kit had chins.

Chip can chat. Kit can chat. Chip and Kit can chat and chat.

Chip had much lunch. Kit had much lunch. Chip and Kit had lunch.

Chip had a chick. Kit had a chick. Chip and Kit had chicks.

Chip is rich. Kit is rich too. Chip and Kit had much lunch.

Chip did check the bench. Kit did check the bench. Chip and Kit sat on the bench.

The pig is an inch. The chick is an inch. Chip and Kit did check the inch.

Chip can munch at lunch. Kit can munch at lunch. Chip and Kit munch and munch.

Chip chin chat much such lunch rich chick check inch bench munch.

Kit had a chick and a chat. Chip had a chick and a chat. Kit and Chip had chicks and chats.

Chip had a rich lunch. Kit had a rich lunch. Chip and Kit had lunch and lunch.

Chip and Kit sat on the bench. Chip and Kit did chat. Chip and Kit had much fun.

Chip had much lunch. Kit had much lunch. Chip and Kit had a rich lunch.

Chip chin chat chick check inch bench lunch munch rich much such.

How to teach it

  1. Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
  2. Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
  3. Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
  4. Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
  5. Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.

Lessons that practise this pattern

Related consonant digraph patterns

Practise this in Lumira