Letter of the Week: F

September 23-27
Letter of the Week: F
Theme: Fall

Sunday, September 22 is the first day of fall!  While I have enjoyed our beautiful summer, I admit I have been looking forward to the change of seasons.

‘F’ is a consonant.  From a speech perspective, ‘f’ is a “lip cooler” sound.  Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellYou make /f/ by placing your top front teeth lightly on the lower lip and releasing a smooth stream of air across the lip (‘cooling’ it).  Hold your hand in front of your mouth as you say /f/ to feel the steady stream of air.  ‘F’ is a quiet sound (no voice).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say “fffffffff”; no vibration from the vocal cords.

If the /f/ sound is tricky for your child, try using your thumb to gently push your child’s lower lip over his/her bottom teeth.  Use a mirror to let your child compare his/her mouth shape to yours as you practice the “lip cooler” sound.

In therapy:  We will be reading 'f'/fall themed books, doing ‘f’/fall themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 'f'.

Suggestions for home:  Pick out the ones that appeal most 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.  Sprinkle ‘f’ throughout the week.  Most important, have fun!

BOOKS

• My “f” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka
• A Friend for All Seasons by Julia Hubery
• When Autumn Falls by Kelly Nidey
• Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson
• It’s Fall (Celebrate the Seasons) by Linda Glaser

Martha E. H. Rustad has written a series of fall themed books:  Cloverleaf Books – Fall’s Here!  Titles include Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter and Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures

The Measured Mom curated this list of 16 must-reads for the letter f.

And No Time For Flashcards has three lists of books about fall.

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

     fruit salad     French fries     fish fingers     French toast     fruitcake   

     fish crackers     fig newtons     fudge     fajitas     farina     feta cheese       

     flax muffins     French Dip sandwich     fried chicken     fried rice       

     Frosted Flakes     fettuccini alfredo     flan     Fritos chips     frozen yogurt

Feeling adventurous?  Make Fall Sugar cookies:
Make a batch of your favorite sugar cookies, but before rolling the dough out divide the dough into four balls and color each ball a different fall color (red, orange, yellow, green).  Then smoosh the four colored balls back together into a large ball and roll out your dough.  Use a leaf cookie cutter to cut out your cookies.  Sprinkle with colored sugar sprinkles & bake.

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘f’ 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 ‘f’ in their name?
• Go on a Field trip – any where you can celebrate the change of seasons/Fall

Be a letter detective:  hunt for the letter ‘f’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).

Play Go Fish:  For extra practice, make playing cards by gluing pictures targeting /f/ or another sound your child is working on to index cards instead of using standard Go Fish cards.

Sensory Play:

• Check out these 9 ways to make the letter F by the Measured Mom 
• Fingerpaint!

Do you have any fun fall traditions?  I’d love to hear!