Year 1Consonant digraphs
ch words
The letters c and h can work together to make the /ch/ sound.
ch/ch/ as in chick
Words with ch
Tap a word to see its sounds and hear it.
ch at the start
ch in the middle
ch at the end
Read ch in a sentence.
Every sentence is checked against the sound.
- 1I munch chips for lunch.
- 2Chop the cheese for lunch.
- 3A chick sat on my chin.
- 4The chicken sat on the bench.
How to teach ch
- Introduce the consonant digraph. Explain that a digraph is two letters that work together to represent a sound.
- Model the target phoneme three times.
- Students repeat.
- Check articulation and correct mouth placement. Prompt students to produce the unvoiced /ch/ phoneme by touching the tip of the tongue just behind the top teeth, then releasing a small burst of air. There should be no voice, only air.
- Identify the target phoneme in the example words.
- Optional extension: Explain that ch usually represents the /ch/ phoneme, as in chip, chair and chicken. In some words, it can represent different phonemes, such as /k/ in school or /sh/ in chef.
Other ways to spell /ch/
Decodable stories with ch.
From the Phonicspal library. Sign up free to read them.
Make a whole ch lesson.
Slides, words and sentences, matched to the sounds your class has learned.