Text Practice
Learn
Now that you know about vowel teams, consonant blends, and digraphs, it is time to practice reading them in real sentences and short stories!
What Are CVC Words?
CVC words follow the pattern: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant. These are some of the first words we learn to read.
- cat = c-a-t
- dog = d-o-g
- sun = s-u-n
- bed = b-e-d
Adding Blends
When we add blends (two consonants together where you hear both sounds), words get longer:
- stop = st-o-p (blend at the beginning)
- frog = fr-o-g (blend at the beginning)
- best = b-e-st (blend at the end)
- swim = sw-i-m (blend at the beginning)
Adding Digraphs
Digraphs are two letters that make ONE sound:
- sh as in ship, fish, wish
- ch as in chip, much, chat
- th as in this, bath, that
- wh as in when, what, why
Reading Strategy: Sound It Out
When you see a new word:
- Look for patterns you know (blends, digraphs, vowel teams)
- Sound out each part slowly
- Blend the sounds together
- Say the whole word
Examples
Read these short passages. Look for the phonics patterns you have learned!
Passage 1: The Big Fish
"I wish I had a big fish," said Beth. She went to the shop with her mom. They got a fish that was red and black. Beth put it in a dish. "This fish is the best!" she said.
Patterns to spot: wish (digraph sh), fish (digraph sh), Beth (digraph th), shop (digraph sh), black (blend bl), dish (digraph sh), best (blend st)
Passage 2: At the Pond
Chip and his dad went to the pond. A frog sat on a flat rock. "Splash!" The frog went into the pond. Chip clapped his hands. "That was fun!" he said.
Patterns to spot: Chip (digraph ch), pond (blend nd), frog (blend fr), flat (blend fl), splash (blend sp, digraph sh), clapped (blend cl), hands (blend nd), that (digraph th)
Passage 3: The Tree
There is a tree in my yard. It is green and brown. Birds sing in the tree. I like to sit and think when I am near the tree.
Patterns to spot: There (digraph th), tree (blend tr, vowel team ee), green (blend gr, vowel team ee), brown (blend br), sing (digraph ng), think (digraph th, digraph nk)
Practice
Complete these 10 practice activities to build your reading skills.
1. Read this sentence aloud: "The black cat sat on the step."
Find the blend in "black" (bl) and "step" (st).
2. Read this sentence aloud: "She will shop for a brush."
Find the digraphs: "She" (sh), "shop" (sh), "brush" (sh).
3. Circle the word with a blend: cat, frog, hat, pin
Answer: frog (fr blend)
4. Circle the word with a digraph: dog, chip, bed, run
Answer: chip (ch digraph)
5. Read this passage: "Stan has a drum. He plays the drum in the band. The drum is red."
Find the blends: Stan (st), drum (dr), plays (pl), band (nd).
6. Fill in the missing digraph: The ___ ip went into the water. (sh / ch / th)
Answer: ship (sh)
7. Fill in the missing blend: The ___ og jumped. (fr / sh / ch)
Answer: frog (fr)
8. Read this sentence and count the digraphs: "When will the fish swim in the bath?"
Answer: 4 digraphs (When-wh, the-th, fish-sh, the-th, bath-th) = 5 total
9. Read this mini-story aloud: "Chuck has a brush. He brushes his teeth. Then he gets dressed."
Digraphs: Chuck (ch), brush (sh), brushes (sh), teeth (th, vowel team ee), Then (th). Blends: dressed (dr, ss).
10. Write your own sentence using at least one blend AND one digraph word.
Example: "The ship went fast." (ship = digraph sh, fast = blend st)
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you have learned.
- What is a CVC word? Give an example.
- What is the difference between a blend and a digraph?
- Name two words that have the "sh" digraph.
- Name two words that have a blend at the beginning.
- What should you do when you see a word you do not know?
Next Steps
- Practice reading books with CVC words, blends, and digraphs
- Point out phonics patterns when you read with a grown-up
- Move on to the next lesson: Writing Application