📖 Reading & talking · Ages 5–6 · about 4 weeks

Two Letters, One Sound: sh ch th ng

Goal: Read and hear the sounds sh, ch, th, ng, qu and ck in words.

For parents: The key idea is that two letters can work together to make one sound. Put one sound button (a line, not a dot) under both letters.

Do together

  1. Sound sort

    You need: Word cards: ship, shop, chip, chin, thin, moth, ring, sing

    Read each word and sort it into piles by its two-letter sound. Underline the two letters that stick together.

  2. Quiet sh, loud ch

    You need: Nothing

    Call words; your child puts a finger on their lips for sh words and pretends to be a train for ch words. Ship! Chin! Shell! Chop!

  3. Build it

    You need: Letter cards, with sh, ch, th and ng written as single cards

    Call a word (shop, much, thin, king) and your child builds it. Did they use the two-letter card?

Talk about it

  • How many sounds are in 'ship'? (three: sh-i-p)
  • Can you hear 'th' at the start of 'thumb'?
  • Which words end with 'ng'?

Words to use

  • sh
  • ch
  • th
  • ng
  • qu
  • ck

Play

  • Sound Hunt
    Phonics
  • Word Builder
    Syllables & word building
  • Sound Start
    First sounds
Play these games free

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