tch – an itchy echidna

tch – itch, hopscotch, crutch

My grandson did it again – a video of an itchy echidna, another one that he graciously let me use, this time to illustrate the “tch” spelling pattern.

I had used “switch” with some rather boring photos in Level 6 of Gilead Success with Phonics. “Itch”, with this video of an echidna, is so much better. I had never realised that their claws were so long.

“Hopscotch” illustrates how a compound word uses the same “tch” spelling pattern as the short word. In case your child asks more about this, here is the information for parents and teachers accessed via the link on the page in the program:

We use “tch” after a single (short) vowel in a short word, except for which, rich, much, such.

E.g., batch, catch, ditch, etch, fetch, hitch, hutch, ketch, latch, notch, patch, pitch, sketch, stitch, switch, clutch, scratch, stretch, thatch, watch … and in compound words using them – stopwatch, outmatch, overstretch …

hopscotch = hop + scotch (“scotch” means a scratch or line)

There are many variations of hopscotch played by children around the world, including a spiral course. Early Roman soldiers, dressed in full battle armour, trained by hopping up and down a line of squares about 30 metres (100 feet) long. Remember, wide vocabulary, interest and engagement help learning to read.

Similarly, we use “dge” for a /j/ sound after a single (short) vowel in a short word – badge, hedge, fridge, dodge, fudge … (Level 8)

The above list of words may help if you and your child wish to brainstorm words with this spelling pattern.

The origins of “hopscotch” and the various versions of the game around the world lend themselves to a web search with your child, a valuable and enjoyable experience on many levels.

I hope you and your children enjoy this video.

As always, if you own an earlier version of the program, contact me to arrange a swap for the latest version.

Acknowledgements: itch – Vespre Photography, hopscotch – hopscotch 1, hopscotch 2, hopscotch 3, hopscotch 4, hopscotch 5, crutch – crutch 1, crutch 2