Have you noticed that while teaching spellings to kids, they’re confused with some words having a single sound but are made of two letters? Basically, those are digraphs and it is a group of two letters representing the same sound (phoneme). There are vowel digraphs and consonant digraphs.
Consonant digraphs are made up of two letters that, when combined, sound like a consonant. (Some vocal tract closure causes a consonant sound to be made.) Vowel digraphs are two letters put together to make a vowel sound. When producing a vowel sound, there is little to no restriction on the airflow from the lungs. Consonant digraphs are generally referred to as digraphs in some countries.
So, to practice such unique sounds, these digraph online games assist children with their learning experience and enhance their knowledge. Since they are equipped with high-end graphics, children are more likely to enjoy the learning process. We have sorted some of the fun yet intriguing games to teach digraphs to children.
Digraphs..What are those?
Because hundreds of frequently occurring words in written English contain one or more digraphs, teaching digraphs and trigraphs is crucial. Kids who can’t recognize digraphs have a considerably tougher time reading and spelling these words.
Many kids may struggle to recognize digraphs without some explicit teaching instructions since many digraphs indicate distinct sounds from the individual letters that make them up.
- Without understanding that a digraph is made up of two letters that all sound the same, children can find it difficult to read new words.
- Exposure to digraphs enables children to recognize unfamiliar words during reading sessions.
- Through digraphs, children can improve their reading skills and also pronounce each word with the correct sound.
- It also helps them build new words just by listening to them. For example, when the word shark is read out, they can quickly recognize the sound of sh together instead of s and h differently.
Engaging online digraph games for kids
Here is a list of the best online digraph games that you can enjoy with the kids. Online digraph games can be used by teachers, parents, or adults to explain the concept to little ones. These games are interactive and easily accessible on the web.
1. Demolition digraphs
This goofy game requires players to demolish some digraphs by picking out the appropriate letter sounds! Students may practice hearing digraphs by smashing through the bricks.
- The users need to simply log in through their email id or add details to begin to the game.
- In this game, various bricks are placed together that have different sounds for digraphs.
- The machine breaks the selected word brick and destroys the building.
- Students have to burst the bricks with similar sounds and that’s how they win the game.
This game offers good sound quality and amazing graphics for the kids to enjoy playing. It is an easy game that helps the kids to listen and then react, creating eye-hand coordination.
2 Sounding Letters
As digraphs consist of different sounds, this game is ideal to learn and understand which sound fits the best to complete the word.
- In this game, players are shown different images with incomplete words for it.
- Here, players have to understand the image and click on the digraph that fits it.
- For example, if the picture is of a fish, the player should select the sound “sh” to complete the word fish.
While it is an interesting way to connect objects and pictures with digraphs, it also enables children to understand and differentiate sounds.
3. Digraphs Photoshoot
The ice cream officer is investigating! With this enjoyable game, children are challenged to look for words with specific beginning sounds.
- The players can enjoy photoshoots of the digraphs by clicking them through the camera.
- Once clicked, they can keep them in the treasure box.
It makes them work on their motor skills along with boosting their confidence that they are well versed with the concept.
4. Consonant Digraph
This is a basic game where children can learn the consonant digraph thoroughly. It is equipped with a great sound feature which also enables players to listen to the words clearly.
- In this game, players are shown pictures of objects or animals for which the digraphs have to be used.
- However, the game also pronounces the sound of the picture along with options at the side.
- For example, if a shark is shown, it will also be spelled by the game.
- After this, the players will have to select the ideal digraph that best fits the word.
This is an interesting game for beginners as they get exposure to sound and pictures, simultaneously. It also enhances their vocabulary.
5. Balloon Match Game
This is another online digraph game that offers children to enjoy placing the right digraph in the correct section. The game is extremely easy and does not require additional assistance.
- In the game, there are different columns with multiple digraphs below.
- In the above section, various words are written in different colored blocks.
- The player has to drag and drop the correct word in the correct section of the digraph.
- For example, Whack will go in the column where the WH digraph section is placed.
This game helps the kids understand the sounds of the digraphs and also keeps them connected with the concept. The game can also be used to memorize the spelling of the digraph for further clarity.
6. Digraph Memory Game
Another fun-filled game to make children enjoy their time understanding the concept of digraphs. The game focuses on sharpening memory skills and keeps them engaged for a long time.
- The game starts with a number of tiles that are placed upside down.
- The player has to click on each one of them to find the pair.
- For example, a player can click on a tile that has a picture of a fish and then clicks on the next one that has a fish written on it.
- This makes a pair, and the kid gets the correct pair.
- The aim is to memorize which tile has which picture and finish the game at the earliest.
With this game, children can boost their concentration skills and be involved in a competitive environment.
7. The Digraph Game
In this game, children get the opportunity to understand the sound and select the right digraph that matches it.
- In this game, the player is given a pictorial representation of the sound.
- There are 4 options for the player to select the right sound and get cheerful feedback in the gameplay.
- For example, if an image of a whale is displayed, the player has to select the digraph wh to get the correct answer.
In this way, children are exposed to pictures and other graphics to understand digraphs better. They also build their listening skills through attentive listening in the game.
Summing up,
When teaching kids the right concepts, it is good to be vigilant and well aware of creative methods. Online games are considered to be the best way to keep children connected and interested in their studies. Online games also create familiarity with graphic, the sound of digraphs, and their proper application in sentence formation.
Along with teachers, parents can also use these games to engage children in playful learning experiences. These games can also be presented as tests or challenges followed by sweet rewards on completion. The best thing about these games is that they are free and can be played easily.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,