TEACHING DIGRAPHS

Teaching the TH Sound

Explain to students
that TH can make
the sounds THE, as
STEP-1 well as THH

Write the words THE THIS STEP-2

THAT on the board and ask
STEP-3
students to read it. Ask them to
guess what sound the TH makes Write the words THIN / THING /
in these words. THINK and ask students to read Let students sound out the words.
these out. Ask students to guess
what sound TH makes in these
T H E words.
T H U M B
T H A T T M O U T H
H I N
T H I S T O O T H

Introducing the TH sound

TH is a tricky word as it has two sounds – the Da sound as in THE and the THA sound
as in THINK.
Step 10: To teach the TH (da) sound write the words THE THIS THAT on the board and
ask students to read it. these are familiar sight words and students can read it. ask them
to guess what sound the TH makes in these words.
Step 11: Now write the words THIN / THING / THINK and ask students to read these
out. Ask students to guess what sound TH makes in these words.
Explain to students that TH can make the sounds THE, as well as THH …
Step12: write the following words and let students sound them out:
THUMB/ MOUTH / THROAT / TOOTH / THREAD / THREE / MONTH
Students may know the names of the different parts of the body so you may give a hint
that the first 4 words are to do with parts of the body and allow students to sound and
guess the words.