Digraph TH (Story 2)

Free Printable Digraph TH (Story 2)

The TH digraph presents a unique challenge for young readers and writers, as it represents two distinct sounds: the voiced /th/ as in "this," "that," and "them," and the unvoiced /th/ as in "thin," "thick," and "think." This early digraph often appears after students have mastered individual consonant sounds and some consonant blends. A common difficulty arises because children may substitute the /f/ or /v/ sound for TH, saying "fin" instead of "thin," or "wif" instead of "with." They might also simplify it to a /d/ or /t/ sound, pronouncing "dat" for "that" or "teef" for "teeth." Distinguishing between the voiced and unvoiced variations requires careful listening and mouth articulation practice, as the tongue position is similar but the vocal cords engage for one and not the other. To effectively teach the TH digraph, our worksheets provide targeted practice. Begin by reading the story "Thad Packs Up" aloud, emphasizing the TH sounds in words like "Thad," "thin," and "with." Guide your student to identify and circle all the TH words they hear. Use the word sort activity to categorize words by their voiced or unvoiced TH sound, helping them feel the difference in their mouths. The phrasing cards reinforce fluent reading of common TH words and short sentences. Finally, the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart for TH words builds quick recognition and retrieval, crucial for developing reading speed and comprehension with this tricky digraph.

For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.