How I Teach TCH vs. CH (Without Confusing Students)

If you’ve ever tried to explain the difference between when to use -tch or -ch to spell the /ch/ sound… you already know.

It’s not intuitive.
It’s not obvious.
And the kids’ faces? Total blank stares.

But after trial, error, and a whole lot of anchor charts, I’ve landed on a visual and hands-on way to make it click — and today I’m sharing it with you (plus you can grab the printables and chart pieces for free at the bottom of this post!).

Let’s break it down so it actually sticks.

The Quick Rule

Here’s the rule in simple, student-friendly language:

👉 Use -tch after a short vowel in a one-syllable word
👉 Use -ch after everything else (when there’s no short vowel sound)

That’s it.

But here’s the thing… just saying the rule doesn’t work.
We’ve got to show it, sort it, and say it — a lot.

Step 1: Start With Sound, Not Spelling

Before we even talk spelling patterns, I start by tuning kids into the sound.

I’ll say:
“Let’s stretch out the word witch. What do you hear right before the /ch/?”

We listen for that short vowel sound: /i/.

Then we try peach. This time, they hear a long vowel: /ē/.

That’s the aha moment. The spelling patterns won’t make sense until they’ve got their ears tuned in.

Step 2: Build the Anchor Chart Together

Now it’s time to bring out the big orange tch letters and all the picture cards. (Yes — you can grab these pieces for free below!)

I keep it simple:

  • We put all the short vowel, 1-syllable words under TCH (witch, hatch, stretch).
  • Everything else goes under CH (peach, lunch, couch).

It’s visual. Hands-on. Interactive.
And way more memorable than just copying a rule into a notebook.

Pro Tip: Do this as an anchor chart sort during whole group first. Then again in small groups. Then again as a center. The repetition helps!

Step 3: Use a Chant to Remember It

Here’s the chant we use (you’re welcome to steal it):

🎵
“Short vowel in a one-syllable word?
That’s when T-C-H is heard!”
🎵

Is it cheesy? Yup.
Do they remember it forever? Also yup.

Step 4: Independent Practice With Mini Charts

Once we’ve practiced as a class, I give students their own mini TCH vs. CH anchor chart to glue into their phonics notebooks or reading folders.

They fill in the blanks, and we practice our chants!

After a short vowel sound in a one-syllable word…
NO short vowel before the /ch/ sound…

It becomes a reference they can use again and again, especially during writing.

Step 5: Reinforce With Picture Sorts

Finally, we use the printable CH vs. TCH picture sort to reinforce what we’ve learned.

You can do this…

  • As a partner game
  • In a word work center
  • As a scoot activity
  • Or print mini versions for morning work

It’s quick, low-prep, and meaningful. And honestly? They love the visual cues.

Grab the Free Printables

If you want to save some prep time, I’ve bundled everything into a freebie pack for you:

✅ Full-Sized TCH vs CH (members only)
✅ Mini TCH vs CH
✅ Fill In TCH vs CH
✅ Printable Pieces for TCH vs CH Anchor Chart
✅ Printable Pieces for TCH vs CH Sort

Simply click the image below to GET ALL OF OUR ANCHOR CHARTS!