Last Updated on September 4, 2024 by Editorial Team
English might be the most spoken language in the world, however, a few rules and aspects of the language can be at times perplexing and bewildering. At such times, using some logic might not just be the right way to go about it.
Similar is the case with Blends and Digraphs. They can make reading, writing, and pronunciation much easier once kids learn the difference between them. While these help us immensely with the learning of the sounds of the words, they can be complex and challenging at the same time.
However, making the task a little easier, a blend and digraph chart can come in handy for students who are just starting out to learn more about the whole concept. Moreover, creating a list of blends and diagraphs and putting them on a chart will help students as they will get a glimpse of it every time they come across the chart.
Blends and Digraphs: Exploring the differences
The blend and digraph both fall under phonics. Learning these small combinations of letters is crucial to reading and spelling correctly. One can sound more like a pro when reading or writing keeping just a few things in mind. However, these can be tough nuts to crack, and that too, at an early age.
Firstly, Digraphs are two letters put together to make one sound. They can be made up of two consonants or a consonant and a vowel, like in the words “th” (think of the letter “T”), or they can be made up of two vowels, like, “eu.”
In a blend, each letter represents its sound in the pronunciation of the word. For example, Skirt. Here, All 5 letters have their own sound, and none of them are combining with one another to form a different sound.
In other words, a digraph corresponds to a single phoneme, whereas a blend corresponds to two or three phonemes (sounds) blended.
Blends and digraph chart
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In what order should you teach blends and digraphs?
Blends and diagraphs, the two phonics that often confuses the best of people, can be taught in a specific manner to make the students more aware of the concept. While tools like worksheets and charts work well for students as they offer a helping hand to the kids, teachers often wish to know which one should be ideally introduced first.
While a teacher or educator can find the best method for their students, it is substantially beneficial that blends should be introduced prior to diagraphs. This is for the simple fact that when learning about these blends, students understand the diagraphs better, once they have a strong hold on blends.
Additionally, most teachers also like to teach and introduce blends and digraphs in groups, as this helps them retain both concepts simultaneously and does not confuse them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the differences between these letters will ensure you are able to choose the correct letter and avoid any mistakes. At the same time, educators and parents must also realize that when topics and concepts like Blends and Digraphs are taught at an earlier stage, the kids become more fluent in the language as they know how to differentiate the spellings. While English is the most commonly used language, whether locally, or in a professional setting, some words flabbergast and confuse the best of us. Hence, learning about blends and digraphs can be supremely helpful to the kids and their future.
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn