Wrong Sound, Silly Mama
Say a word with the wrong first sound on purpose and let them correct you.
I say words wrong on purpose, and it turns out that being smarter than mama is the most motivating game in the world. She corrects me, laughing, and the correction is the learning.
How to play
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1
Point at something you both know. A dog, a cup, a shoe.
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2
Say it wrong, with total confidence: “Look! A mmm-og!”
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3
Wait. Look puzzled. Let them correct you.
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4
Act amazed that they caught it. Then do it again with something else, or the family pet. Swap the first sound. Nobody defends the dog's honor like a toddler.
Make it easier: start with sounds they already own, animal sounds. “The cow says woof??” Being wrong about a moo is funny early. Being wrong about a phoneme is only funny once they can hear it.
A tip: stick to objects and animals. Some kids find it hilarious when you get their name wrong. Others take it very personally. You know yours.
Catching a swapped sound.
To catch that “mmm-og” is wrong, your child has to know how dog really begins, hear the changed sound, and notice that something does not fit. They are not just looking for a match anymore, they are catching the sound you secretly swapped. Once they correct you, say it back clearly: “Yes, d, dog! I said mmm.” And because correcting a grown-up is irresistible, the repetition comes free.
Want the printable version?
This game plus all nine, as beautiful one-pagers you can print and keep, with ready-to-use sound lists and simple ways to level each game up as they get better.
Free. One email, no spam. The game above is yours to keep either way.