Vocabulary Assessment · Grades 1–3
Consonant Sounds Assessment
A printable assessment for grades 1-3 covering the consonant sounds that work together: beginning blends and digraphs, ending digraphs and trigraphs, and the hard and soft sounds of c and g. Twenty-four items with a complete answer key.
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What this assessment checks
Three separate consonant-sound skills, assessed one section at a time so a gap shows up as a section rather than a scattering of missed items:
- Beginning blends and digraphs (ch, st, th, fr, wh, bl, sh, dr, ph, cl)
- Hard and soft c and g, the pattern most often mistaken for an exception
- Ending digraphs and trigraphs (tch, th, ng, sh, ck, dge)
How to use it
Give it after consonant blends and digraphs have both been taught, and before moving on to vowel teams. It works as a whole-class check in one sitting, or as three short exit tickets on consecutive days. Students who cannot yet write letter combinations reliably can say the answer aloud while you record it — the skill being measured is hearing the sound, not handwriting.
Reading the results
Score the three sections separately — the shape of the result matters more than the total. Misses in Section A point to blending instruction: a blend keeps both sounds, a digraph makes one new sound. Misses in Section B are almost always the rule rather than the words, since c and g soften before e, i and y. Misses in Section C cluster on tch and dge, which follow a short vowel.
| Resource type | Assessment (printable PDF) |
| Grade range | Grades 1–3 |
| Items | 24 across 3 sections |
| Answer key | Included on the final page |
| Time | About 20 minutes |
| Access | Free Account |