phase 04

Here the new digraph nuts thread onto the same bolt your child already knows, in the same positions, run with the same rotation.

Ship, chat, and march are harder words than map, but the motion is identical, so the difficulty climbs without the anxiety climbing with it. You may even catch your child blending a word, pausing, and trying it again a little differently. That is not a mistake. It is a reader checking their own work.

The one new skill is knowing where each nut sits, since the digraph nuts carry their color coding into their position on the bolt. White floats between the start and the end, green r-controlled vowels and clear vowel teams take the middle, pink endings land the word, and beige blends launch it. The guide breaks down each one.

Start with just one digraph nut at a time, even if your child is comfortable with the cards.