📖 What Are Vowel Digraphs?

If your child has started learning to read, you’ve probably heard terms like “CVC words,” “phonics,” and “vowel digraphs.” 

While it can feel overwhelming at first, understanding these concepts can really help you support your child on their reading journey. 

In this post, we’re going to break down vowel digraphs—what they are, why they matter, and how you can help your child learn them at home.

🔤 What Is a Vowel Digraph?

A vowel digraph is simply two vowels that work together to make one sound.

You might be familiar with words like:

• rain
• feet
• boat
• moon

Each of these words contains a vowel digraph: ai, ee, oa, and oo. Even though there are two vowel letters, they create one vowel sound. That’s what makes it a digraph.

🧠 Why Are Vowel Digraphs Important?

Learning vowel digraphs is a big step forward in reading development. They help children:

• Read longer and more complex words
• Recognise common spelling patterns
• Understand that English has many vowel sounds that aren’t just A, E, I, O, and U
• Move beyond simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like cat or dog

Understanding vowel digraphs also gives children the tools to tackle tricky words with more confidence.

📚 Common Vowel Digraphs to Know

Here are some of the most common vowel digraphs your child will come across:

You might notice that some digraphs (like oo) can make more than one sound. 

That’s part of what makes learning to read in English both challenging and interesting!

👪 How Can Parents Help at Home?

You don’t need to be a teacher to support your child’s learning. 

Here are some fun and effective ways to help your child practise vowel digraphs at home:

• Read aloud books that include vowel digraphs and point them out as you go.
• Play word-matching games where your child matches pictures to words with the same digraph.
• Use flashcards to practise identifying the sounds.
• Create a vowel digraph word wall at home with words like rain, boat, feet, and moon.
• Draw pictures or colour in worksheets that include vowel digraph words.

Start with the most common digraphs like ai, ee, and oa, and add new ones as your child gains confidence.

🌟 What are Vowel Digraphs

Vowel digraphs are a key part of early reading development. 

Once your child is confident with short vowels and simple CVC words, learning these vowel pairs will open up a whole new world of reading possibilities. 

With a little support, some practice, and a lot of encouragement, your child will be on their way to mastering this important reading skill.

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