ch Mystery Box

Are you looking for a fun and hands-on activity to help your Year 1 and Year 2 students master the /ch/ sound and the tricky ch and tch spelling patterns? Mystery Box is the perfect solution! This interactive phonics game engages students as they practice identifying, reading, and sorting words that use these essential digraphs and trigraphs.

With its tactile, exploratory format, Mystery Box

makes phonics lessons exciting while reinforcing spelling rules that help students become confident readers and writers.

Understanding the ch and tch Spelling Rule

Before diving into the game, let’s review the simple rule for spelling words with the /ch/ sound:

Use tch: When the /ch/ sound follows a short vowel (e.g., catch, hatch, pitch).
Use ch: When the /ch/ sound follows a long vowel or a consonant (e.g., beach, lunch, peach).

Helping students internalize this rule is key to improving their spelling and phonics skills.

How to Play Mystery Box

Mystery Box is a flexible and engaging activity that can be played in small groups or individually. Here’s how to set it up:

Prepare Your Materials:
- Collect small objects or picture cards that represent words with the /ch/ sound (e.g., a toy chair, a picture of cheese, or a card with the word match). Ensure you include a mix of ch and tch words.
- Place the objects or cards into a decorated box or bag—the “Mystery Box.”
- Print or write out two headings: “ch Words” and “tch Words.”
Explain the Rules:
- Students take turns drawing an object or card from the Mystery Box.
- After identifying the word, they determine if it uses the ch or tch spelling based on the rule.
- Students place the object or card under the appropriate heading.
Extend the Activity:
- Once all the items are sorted, review them as a group. Discuss why each word uses ch or tch.
- Challenge students to create sentences using the words they’ve sorted to reinforce understanding.

Why Mystery Box Works

Mystery Box combines phonics practice with curiosity and tactile learning, making it a hit with young learners. Here’s why it’s so effective:

Interactive and Engaging: The element of surprise keeps students excited and motivated.
Reinforces Spelling Rules: Sorting ch and tch words solidifies the spelling patterns.
Encourages Critical Thinking: Students must apply the rule to categorize each word correctly.
Supports Multi-Sensory Learning: Handling objects and reading words combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles.

Tips for Success

Differentiate the Difficulty: Include simpler words like chip and chat for beginners and more challenging ones like stretch or kitchen for advanced learners.
Add a Timer: Introduce a timed challenge to make the game even more exciting.
Incorporate Writing Practice: Have students write a short story using the words from the Mystery Box after sorting them.

Bringing Phonics to Life

At Smart Boarding School, we believe that learning should be as fun as it is effective. The Mystery Box game is a fantastic way to bring phonics lessons to life, helping students master the ch and tch digraphs and trigraphs in an enjoyable, hands-on way.