How to Teach The Three Sounds of /CH/ at the Same Time.

By Judy Ohalloran | PHONOGRAM GAMES/ACTIVITIES

Christmas is the perfect time to learn and practice the ‘ch’ phonogram.  After all, most of your work is done for you.  Everywhere you go, there will be environmental print with Christmas ads, Christmas greetings, and Christmas posters.

As you know, Raising Robust Readers teaches all the sounds of each phonogram.   If we didn’t teach all three sounds, then this sentence would be hard to explain:

Chill out with the Christmas chef.

Nutcracker Chef available at Amazon.com

How to Teach the Three Sounds of Phonogram CH at the Same Time

  1. First, introduce the CH phonogram jingle;
    (I pound my chest.  I rub my stomach, and I wipe my milk mustache
  2. CH makes three sounds:  /ch/.  /k/.  /sh/

    2.  Be sure to include the gesture:  lightly ‘pound’ your chest; rub your stomach in a circular motion, and wipe an imaginary milk mustache from your upper lip.

Add a Fun Activity

Besides talking about the sounds, singing (or saying) the jingle, using the gesture, and seeing them in print, it’s fun to add a craft activity to have lots of fun and reinforce the sounds.  Have your young learner join you in making some cookies or this Chocolate Chiffon Christmas Cake.  Be sure to sing the ditty as you work away as this will reforge the sounds.

Raising Robust Readers Chocolate Chiffon Christmas Cake
Raising Robust Readers Chocolate Chiffon Christmas cake

Phonogram Hunt Activity

Don’t forget to include a phonogram hunt activity whenever you are out and about.  

There will be many places to find environmental print with Christmas Cheer messages in which your child can find the ‘ch’ phonogram.

Card section of the store

Window displays 

Newspaper flyers

Internet 

Phonemic Awareness Practice

For phonemic awareness practice, carefully pronounce ‘Ch’ words, emphasizing the /ch/, /k/, or /sh/ sounds.  For the older children, you can play the matching sound game by making three columns.  Title the columns chest, stomach, and mustache.  Object of the game: ‘match the sound’ by correctly placing word cards in the proper column.  Model the first round with the words:  chill, Christmas, chef

Matching Sound Game


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