Letter of the Week: T

November 18 - 22Gobble, gobble!
Letter of the Week: T
Theme: Turkey

Thanksgiving is coming!  We are talking about gratitude/thankfulness all month and have a subtle Thanksgiving theme.  However, while Thanksgiving starts with the letter 't', it starts with the 'th' sound.  And we are not ready to go there, yet.  So, next week as we highlight the letter/sound 't' we'll be talkin' turkey!

‘T’ is a consonant.  From a speech perspective, ‘t’ is a tip tapper.  Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellThe tongue [tongue tip to be specific] is doing the work to make this sound.  The tip of the tongue makes solid contact with the gum ridge behind the top front teeth, trapping air between it and roof of the mouth, and then a little burst of air (and sound) is released as the tongue quickly withdraws.  /t/ is a quiet sound (no voice).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say it; no vibration from the vocal cords.   

In therapy:  We will be reading 't'/turkey themed books, doing ‘t’/turkey themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 't'.

Suggestions for home:  Sprinkle ‘t’ throughout the week.  Pick out a variety of activities that appeal to your child (and you!).  Kids learn best through active experiences.  And multi-modal learning helps make stronger and more diverse connections in the brain, which helps with retention and recall.  Most important, have fun!

BOOKS

• My “t” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• A Plump and Perfect Turkey by Teresa Bateman
• T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story by Tanya Lee Stone
• 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
• Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
• Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
• Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler
• Sometimes It's Turkey, Sometimes It's Feathers by Lorna Balian

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - T:  Consider adding some “t” foods to your menu this week.  Here are a few ideas:

     turkey     tofu     tomato     toast     tangarine     tacos     tart         

     tuna     turnip     tapioca pudding     tortilla chips     tator tots

     tamale     tortellini     teriyaki     toffee     tootsie roll

Feeling adventurous?  Make Rice Krispy Turkeys (I found this idea at Preschool Alphabet):

1. Make a batch of rice crispy treats.
2. With buttered hands, make several rice crispy balls. Cool on wax paper.
3. Insert 5 toothpicks into the rice crispy ball making the turkeys feathers.
4. Have the kids string Fruit Loops onto the toothpicks.
5. You could also add a candy corn beak and chocolate chip eyes.

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘t’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?

Field Trip:  Zoo/Aquarium:  can you find any animals with ‘t’ in their name?

Be a letter detective:  hunt for the letter ‘t’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).

Community helpers:  talk about teachers!

Sensory Play:

• Make tisue paper art
• Make a tissue paper frame and glue the letter T on (focus on the /t/ sound)
• Have a tea party!  To help get you in the mood, read a poem or two from Tea Party Today: Poems to Sip and Savor by Eileen Spinelli
• Do a tea taste test (there are plenty of herbal teas to choose from).  You could do this as part of your tea party or before to choose the tea(s) to serve at your tea party.
• Get some wiggles out by playing a "Run, Turkey, Run game" (I found this idea Preschool Alphabet):  Find a good place for your child to run around.  Start your child off by saying, "Run, turkey, run!"  Then change it up by saying "Jump, turkey, jump!" (freeze, crawl, hop, walk, etc.)

APPS

• The Turkey Who Forgot How To Gobble
• Hand Turkey - A Multi-Touch Thanksgiving App

Do you have other ‘t’/turkey fun ideas?  I’d love to hear!

This post contains affiliate links.