Hands-On Digraph Sort for Brain-Friendly Learning

Digraph practice made fun with this summer-themed activity!

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, students begin dreaming of summer: trips to the beach, ice cream cones on a hot day, and hours spent playing outside. While they might be ready for summer break, we know that learning doesn’t end until the very last day of school. Thankfully, this colorful, hands-on digraph sort will keep students hooked because they can lean into summer AND practice important phonics skills at the exact same time.

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Beach Bucket Digraph Sort Prep

When the school year is drawing to a close, all you want are engaging and brain-friendly activities that are easy to prep and highly engaging. This digraph sort activity checks all of those boxes!

To get ready, simply print the bucket and picture pages on white cardstock and run them through the laminator for added durability. 

Cut along the black lines to separate the pieces and you’re ready to go! Once everything is cut, there will be four digraph buckets and twenty four shell picture cards in all-giving students plenty of opportunities for practice.

Beach Bucket Digraph Sort

This activity is perfect for small groups or independent work. To review digraphs with a small group, lay each bucket down on the table and have students say the sounds together. Then, ask volunteers to share examples of words that start with each digraph as you write them down to make a giant list.  For instance, when your group brainstorms CH words, students might name CHIN, CHAT, and CHOP.

Next, students will take turns picking up a shell card and saying the name of the picture aloud. Then they will place the picture on top of the correct digraph bucket based on the word’s initial digraph sound. Students will take turns drawing cards, reading out loud, and placing the picture cards in the correct pile. 

After all of the picture cards have been sorted, the group will review each digraph sound and say the name of all of the pictures on each bucket. 

When students show that they have mastered the activity, add the cards to a literary center so they can play the game independently. 

To make the activity self-checking, simply draw small colored stars on the back of each set so students can confirm that their answers are correct when they finish sorting. For instance, you might draw red stars on the back of all of the CH cards and yellow stars on the back of all of the SH playing pieces.

This digraph sort is sure to be a big hit as you get ready for the start of summer! For more word fun, snag our popular Inflectional Ending Centers in our shop or inside our VIP teaching membership, the Science of Reading Formula. There are thousands of print-and-go, themed activities just like this one waiting for you inside!

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