Toddlers who struggle with phonological pronunciation can benefit from the focus provided by a group of activities centered around a particular sound. These exercises emphasize the "ch" sound, as heard in "choo choo", "cheese", and "chew," and can easily be performed in 45 to 60 minutes.
Reading Activity for Preschoolers
There are many children’s books that center around trains. Pick one or two to read and ask the toddler to repeat the "choo choo" sound whenever it is appropriate. Book choices could include Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk, Choo Choo Clickety-Clack! by Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo Choo Express by Sharon Fass Yates, or Hey, Mr. Choo-Choo, Where Are You Going? by Susan Wickberg.
Musical Activity for Toddlers
Musical chairs offers a fun and interactive opportunity to emphasize the "ch" sound if more than one child is able to participate. Use train-themed music, such as The Wee Sing Trains or Kidsongs – Cars, Boats, Planes and Trains, to signal the beginning and end of the round. As the children pass each chair, have them say, “Choo Choo”. When the music stops, ask them to repeat a "ch" word before the music begins again. Examples include cheer, chair, chip, cheese, chalk, and chase.
Learn "ch" Sound Through Art Activity
For this art activity, toddlers will create mice that eat Cheese. Using construction paper and scissors, cut a six-inch piece of gray paper into a heart shape. Then, cut a three-inch piece of yellow construction paper into a triangle. A three-inch piece of yarn in any color will act as the mouse’s tail.
Fold the gray heart in half to create the mouse body. Use crayons to add one mouse eye and three mouse whiskers on each side of the mouse body. Use a stapler to seal the mouse’s body closed. Be sure to attach the tail securely, while also leaving a one-half inch opening near the mouse’s mouth.
Now, ask the toddler to tear the yellow triangle – the mouse’s cheese! – into small pieces. Have the toddler "feed" the cheese to the mouse, stuffing the center of the mouse with yellow paper. When the mouse is "full", add one more staple to seal the cheese inside of the mouse.
Use Snack Activity to Emphasize "ch" Sound
Now it’s time for the toddler to become a mouse who eats cheese! Serve small cheese cubes with crackers or grapes as a snack. Ask the toddler to wrinkle their nose like a mouse sniffing the air and have the child repeat the word “cheese” before taking each bite.
By centering a group of activities around the "ch" sound, toddlers are exposed to it in several different ways and associate learning with fun. Expand the activity by re-reading one or more of the books at bedtime each evening for a week, always emphasizing the "ch" sound.
Dianna Brodine - Dianna is a professional writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience in the publishing, marketing, fundraising, and insurance ...
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