vlindertherapies - Vlinderings

July 21-25
Sound of the Week: Ch
Theme: Ch

Are you ready for sound of the week /ch/?? When I made the decision to take a break from the letter/sound of the week project...well, let's just say it was a little longer than I had intended! But here we are. So, let's hear three cheers for "CH"!

Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellFrom a speech perspective, /ch/ is a “fat pushed” sound. Just like /j/, we make /ch/ with “fat” and round lips. The tongue flattens, trapping the air between itself and the roof of the mouth. The air is then released in an explosive wide puff. /ch/ is a quiet sound (no voice). Hold your hand to your throat as you say it; no vibration from the vocal cords.

For literacy carryover (reading and spelling), talk about "Helper H" joins 'c' to help make the 'ch' digraph (and sound).

In therapy: We will be reading about chimps doing the cha-cha, playing with chomping chipmunks, and exploring the speech sound 'ch'.

Suggestions for home: Sprinkle ‘ch’ throughout the week. Pick out a variety of activities that appeal to your child (and you!). Kids learn best through active and meaningful experiences. And multi-modal learning helps make stronger and more diverse connections in the brain, which helps with retention and recall. Most important, have fun!

BOOKS

Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault [Kindle Edition]
Ah-Choo by Christine Taylor-Butler
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis [Kindle Edition]
Mac and Cheese by Sarah Weeks [Kindle Edition]
Charlie Who Couldn't Say His Name by Davene Fahy
Chicken Said, "Cluck!" by Judyann Ackerman Grant
Chicks and Chickens: Learning the Ch Sound by J. Lou Barnes
Chicky Chicky Chook Chook by Cathy MacLennan
Baa-Choo! by Sarah Weeks [Kindle Edition]
Chippy Chipmunk Parties in the Garden by Kathy M Miller

For older kids:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
The Chalk Box Kids by Clyde Robert Bulla

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - CH: Consider adding some ‘ch’ foods to your menu this week. Here are a few ideas:
chocolate cheese chips chicken cherries chops Chex

chestnuts chutney Chinese take out chowder Chop Suey

chick peas churros Chow Mein chilli Cheetos Cherrios

Feeling adventurous? Make a cherry pie with your child!

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt: how many ‘ch’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?

Field Trip:

Zoo/Aquarium: can you find any animals with ‘ch’ in their name?
Children's Museum

Family Movie Night (watch and then work on story retell activities):

Sensory Play:

Cha-cha-cha! Learn to dance the Cha-Cha.
Chalk! Sidewalk or inside to practice making letters and drawing. Or get artsy with spray chalk or scented sidewalk chalk paint.
Does your child love to play Candyland? Swap out the cards with these cards targeting /ch/ words made to go with Candyland.
Get moving with cheers! Try these or make up your own.
Play matching games (like memory), saying "match" or "no match". Check out this outdoor version.
Checkers or Chess
Use a butter knife to "chop" playdoh
make a paper chain (is it too early to start counting down to school???)

APPS

Many apps developed for targeting speech production skills include the /ch/ sound. Check out my list of speech apps HERE.

Erik X Raj (SLP) has developed several apps for school age children working on speech (the more common persistent speech sound errors, including /sh/), but also incorporating other language skills. They go beyond many of the 'typical' speech apps available. Probably not a good fit for preschoolers or children with more involved speech/language disorders, but if your child is ready, give them a look:

Do you have other ‘ch’ ideas? I’d love to hear!

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