The Ready Reader's Guide to Mastering the Digraph—Ng
For Parents with Children 0-7
Salutations Ready Readers!
Today I want to continue our discussion of digraphs—or paired consonants that produce a single sound. As always, our short talk will be followed by a reading activity, so your little one can begin practicing this important letter combination.
Digraphs are an important grapheme for a child to master as she prepares to crack the code of reading. Happily, even before a child begins direct phonics instruction, a strong reading foundation can be built simply by reading aloud rhymes that introduce a child to the sounds digraphs make.
The best part is that rhymes accomplish this playful introduction through repetition and rhyme.
Digraphs are not to be confused with letter blends, in which each consonant retains its characteristic sound. The “sl” in sleep is a letter blend, since each letter retains its individual sound. In contrast, when two consonants combine to make a digraph, the paired letters produce a different sound than either letter makes by itself.
The “sh” in “sheep” and “hush” is an example of a digraph.
As a quick review from last week, here is a list of five common consonant digraphs in English—
ch — “chair” and “cheese”
sh — “ship” and “sheep”
th — “three” and “thumb”
ph — “phone” and “pheasant”
ng — “strong” and “song”
Today’s Reading Activity
Today, we will practice the digraph—ng by reading aloud and paying attention to this letter pair as it appears in three playful rhymes.
Sing, Sing Sing, sing, what shall I sing? Cat's run away with the pudding string! Do, do, what shall I do? The cat has bitten it quite in two.
The “ng” digraph appears no less that five times in this short lyric—in the thrice repeated word “sing” and in the delightful paring of “pudding” and “string.”
A Plum Pudding Flour of England, fruit of Spain, Met together in a shower of rain; Put in a bag tied round with a string; If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give you a ring.
If we include the title, this lyric introduces a child to four distinct instances of the “ng” digraph—in pudding, England, string, and ring.
My maid Mary she minds the dairy, While I go a-hoeing and mowing each morn; Gaily run the reel and the little spinning wheel. While I am singing and mowing my corn.
The string of gerunds in this short quatrain will introduce your little one to four distinct ways to practice the “ng: digraph—a-hoeing, mowing, spinning, singing.
As always, thanks for reading!
Fare thee well, Friends, till next Friday!
Your Reading Reading Guide,
Derek