What benefit do students gain from learning digraphs?

Learning digraphs, which are pairs of letters that produce a single sound (like "sh" in "shoe" or "ch" in "chip"), provides students with an understanding of how different letter combinations can represent various sounds. This understanding is crucial for developing phonemic awareness, as it teaches students the flexibility in pronunciation and the nuances of the English language.

By recognizing that different letters can produce specific sounds together, students become more adept at understanding the unpredictable nature of English phonics, which is essential for effective reading and pronunciation. This ability also helps them decode unfamiliar words more confidently, as they apply their knowledge of digraphs to new situations, enhancing their overall literacy skills.

While enhancing spelling, improving handwriting, and increasing vocabulary size are important skills, they are more indirect benefits of understanding digraphs compared to the core knowledge of pronunciation flexibility that digraphs specifically teach.