December 16 - 20
Letter of the Week: W
Theme: Winter
Contrary to what we might think based on our recent weather, winter begins next weekend. In honor of the change of seasons we will be talking about all things cold, snowy and wintery!
Technically, ‘w’ is a consonant. From a speech perspective, /w/ is a wind sound. It is a sound cousin to /h/ as both are made by an air stream relatively unobstructed by the lips and tongue. When we put ‘w’ at the beginning of a word or syllable, the sound is made but simply rounding the lips before moving to the vowel sound following it. For our purposes here, /w/ is a noisy sound (voice on – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound). Hold your hand to your throat as you say /w/; you should feel vibration from the vocal cords. Now say ‘hhhhhhh’ (a quiet sound); feel the difference?
In therapy: We will be reading 'w'/winter themed books, doing ‘w’/winter themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 'w'.
Suggestions for home: Sprinkle ‘w’ throughout the week. Pick out a variety of activities that appeal to your child (and you!). Kids learn best through active and meaningful 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 “w” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian
Winter Poems by Barbara Rogasky
Winter by Gerda Muller
The Story of the Snow Children by Sibylle von Olfers
Flannel Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Katy and The Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
Cub’s First Winter by Rebecca Elliot
FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - W: Consider adding some “w” foods to your menu this week. Here are a few ideas:
wafers waffles water walnuts watercress wheat
Wheaties Whoppers wild rice wings watermelon
Feeling adventurous? Make a white cake with your child.
ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt: how many ‘w’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?
Field Trip:
Be a letter detective: hunt for the letter ‘w’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).
Sensory Play:
APPS
Thank you for stopping by! Do you have other ‘w’/winter fun ideas? Take a moment and leave me a comment. I’d love to hear! I appreciate you sharing your ideas, thoughts, feedback and reaching out to make a connection!
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