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You have a budding, brilliant reader. She is eager to learn. She wants more. You don’t have more. That is where I come in…This Consonant Digraph Activity: Blends work is one of my three original Language works I created for my Montessori training.

To create the cards, I used blue cardstock (blue level work), my printer, image files, blend files, a paper cutter and a laminator. I also have a small plastic bag to hold the small digraph cards. My files are included at the end of this post. I ask you to please use them only for personal purposes.
What is a Digraph?
Before we dive into this activity, let’s define digraph.
According to dictionary.com, a digraph is a pair of letters representing a single speech sound, as ea in meat or th in path. I love this explanation from This Reading Mama. She even includes an adorable, easy to follow printable for your home or classroom.
A blend is two letters that come together to make two sounds. Whereas a digraph is two letters that come together to make a single sound. So, a blend would be “bl” and a digraph would be “th”, for example, with a single consonant sound.
Examples
I think the easiest thing for you to do in order to understand even better is to download this FREE printable.
Below is a fun educational video to explain to children (and adults!) the meaning of a digraph.
Related Read: The Ultimate List of Montessori Language Resources and Recommendations
Consonant Digraph Activity: Blends
Material
A card with nine images representing three different blend sounds. Small digraphs cards. A basket or tray.
Work Surface
PURPOSE
To increase awareness and skill in reading and writing Blue Level words.
PREREQUISITES
Knowledge of previous digraph materials and short vowel word building

PRESENTATION
- Invite the child to do the work: “I am going to show you something new with blend sounds!”
- Bring the basket or tray with the materials to the work rug.
- Remove one card, and you or the child name the images on the card: “bread. crayon. creek….”
- Remove the cards from the small bag and review the blended sounds with the child: /br/
- Slowly scan the card of images until you find a match. Repeat the name of the image with emphasis on the blended sound and place the card onto the image of “bread,” for example, repeating the digraph /br/.
- Remove each card from the bag and repeat the same procedure. Allow the child to take over at any point.
- If the child has incorrectly collected an object not matching the sound on the card, review the image name and digraph.
- If the child wants to continue with another card, show him the next card.
- Ask the child to place the cards back onto the tray or into the basket. Return to the shelf.
Related Read: Best Montessori Activities for 2-Year-Olds
EXTENSIONS/VARIATIONS
- With a partner
- Trace the letters
- Build words with the moveable alphabet
- Write words of images
- Create a design with a metal inset and write the digraph in the center
- With a partner, play Bingo. Roll a DIY die with blends and place the small digraph cards on each side.
POINTS OF INTEREST
- New vocabulary and sounds
- Images
CONTROL OF ERROR
The number of small digraphs cards match the number of images on the card
LANGUAGE
Names of images, 3-period lesson for any image/sound the child incorrectly identifies, digraphs
Age
4.5-6 years old
AIMS/GOALS
Order, concentration, independence, confidence, matching, analysis of sounds, building vocabulary, reading, writing, and spelling.
Resources that Helped Me Do This Activity
Related Montessori Language Lessons
Happy learning!
Marnie