The TH Sound
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The /th/ sound is made with the tongue between the teeth and blow air. Sometimes we call it a "tongue cooler" and it is one of the "long sounds" like /s/, /f/ and /sh/. There are two /th/ sounds - the quiet one as in "thing" and "math", and its noisy partner as in "the" and "feather". You just have to put your tongue between your teeth, blow air, as well as turn on your voice for the noisy /th/.
For place of production, I like using the description of it being the 'hamburger' sound because the upper and lower teeth are the bun and the tongue is the hamburger. You don't want the hamburger to be too big or too small for the bun!
Most of the time, kids who have trouble saying the quiet /th/ are saying /f/ for /th/ (they sound so much alike, I know I have to really watch the lips to make sure which one kids are saying!) and those that are having trouble saying the noisy /th/ are usually saying /d/ for /th/.
On all the activities, students need to have a helper to play with them and make sure they are saying the sound or word out loud, and to provide a little help with reading word or knowing what it means, and to make sure they are saying their sound correctly. A mirror can help the student self monitor as they watch their articulators saying the word.
Lesson 1: Do activites listed under Useful Links.
Lesson 2: Practice /th/ vs. /f/ word initial with the first and second activities listed until you can do the flashcards with 90% accuracy 3 times in a row. You may need to stay on this lesson for a few practice sessions.
Lesson 3: Practice the Initial "TH" games and when you get a match, use the word in a sentence. Stay on this activity unitl you can do the flashcards using the word in a sentence correctly 90% or better 3 times in a row.
Lesson 4: Practice /f/ vs. /th/ word final matching pairs until you can do the flashcards with 90% accuracy 3 times in a row.
MORE TO COME
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