How to Teach the "CH" Sound.
The /ch/ sound is actually a combination of the /t/ and the /sh/ sound. To make the sound, begin with your teeth together and bring the tip of your tongue to the small ridge just behind the front teeth. The corners of the lips are puller together so the lips pucker. This is a voiceless stop consonant, which means that the sound comes from air that travels through the mouth and is stopped by the tip of the tongue touching the roof of your mouth behind your teeth before it is released from the mouth. Your vocal cords do not vibrate during the /ch/ sound.
Practicing articulation with your child is a great way to spend time together and to stimulate your child’s language development. Here are a few speech therapy tips for you and your child to practice at home or with the help of a speech pathologist:
- Verbal cues
Since the /ch/ sound is a combination of two other sounds, the /t/ sound and the /sh/ sound, a great technique to help your child make the sound is to have them say the /t/ and the /sh/ sounds back to back. For example, the phrase “meet ship” begins to sound like “me chip” the faster you say it. Encourage your little one to try this. It will make them more familiar with saying the sound. Once they can make the sound by itself, have the combine it with vowels to make simple syllables and then move on to words and sentences.
- Visual/Tactile cues
Many kids already know the /ch/ sound as the “choo choo” sound. Help them remember this when they make the sound by moving your arm up and down with your hand in a fist like a train conductor. Your child can do it too as they pronounce the sound! Another fun motion that reminds kids what the sound is like is to sneeze. The big “aahh-CHOO” helps them say the sound as well. If you demonstrate the sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, you can teach your child how to reduce the spread of germs at the same time!
- Awesome /ch/ Activity
Start a Cha Cha Choo Choo with your family! Create a conga line and dance around the house alternating between embodying a human choo choo train and a cha-cha dancing family. This is a great way to stay active and practice the /ch/ sound at the same time!
How to Teach the "J" Sound
The /j/ sound is made with the exact same mouth positioning as the /ch/ sound, but the /j/ sound is voiced. This means that the sound is produced comes from both the vibration of the vocal cords and from the movement of air through the mouth. To make the sound, put your teeth together and pull the corners of your lips to the middle to form a pucker. The tip of your tongue should rise to touch the top of your mouth just behind your front teeth as air passes through your mouth. The air will temporarily be blocked by your tongue on its way out before being released from your lips.
Practicing articulation with your child is a great way to help stimulate their language development at home or in conjunction with a speech therapist. Here are some fun tips to help you get started with your little one:
- Verbal cues
When practicing individual sounds with your child, it is important to begin by saying the sound slowly and clearly for your child: “/j/, /j/, /j/” This helps your little one to understand what sound you are focusing on and gives them a good example to imitate. Have your child repeat the sound back to you. Gradually, as she begins to master the sound in isolation, add vowels to the sound to form simple syllables, such as “jo, jo, jo,” “jay, jay, jay,” and “jee, jee, jee.” With practice and time, your child will be able to move on to words, sentences, and even conversations with the /j/ sound.
- Visual cues
Often when a visual cue accompanies a sound, it helps children remember what their mouth is supposed do in order to make the sound. For the /j/ sound, place your thumb in one corner of your mouth and your other fingers at the other corner and draw them together around your mouth as you say the sound, so that your hand pinches together in the same way the lips do. Have your child do this as well when they make the sound. Encourage your child to practice this in the mirror for additional visual feedback.
- Tactile cues
Since the /j/ sound is a voiced sound, the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is pronounced. You can feel this vibration by putting your hand on your neck when you say the sound. Have your little one feel your throat, and then her own. Kids get a kick out of feeling this and it helps remind them that they are saying the sound correctly.
- Awesome /j/ Activity
J is for Jumping! Place a few washcloths or placemats on the floor of your kitchen or living room so they look like lily pads on a pond. Tell your kiddo that the goal is to jump all the way to the end, but she has to “jump!” three times correctly before actually jumping to the next lily pad. Your little froggy will master the sound soon enough!
(Source: www.chicagospeechtherapy.com)