Letter of the Week: L

September 30 – October 4
Letter of the Week: L
Theme: Leaves

Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-Bell‘L’ is a consonant.  From a speech perspective, ‘l’ is a “lifter” sound.  You make /l/ by lifting your tongue to make contact with the gum ridge behind your upper teeth and releasing an airstream over the sides of your tongue.  ‘L’ is a noisy sound (voice on – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say “lllllllll”; you should feel vibration from the vocal cords.  Now say ‘hhhhhhh’ (a quiet sound); feel the difference?

If the ‘l’ sound is tricky for your child, try:

• Have your child say "aaaahhhhh" and hold it.  Instruct her to lift the tip of her tongue and touch it to the bump behind her teeth. The "aaaahhhh" will turn into /l/.
• If your child is having trouble finding the bump, you can rub a lollipop or q-tip (dipped in mouthwash or other strong flavor) on the spot before he begins.

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

Suggestions for home:  Sprinkle ‘l’ 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 “l” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
• Fall Leaves Fall! By Zoe Hall
• Leaves! Leaves! Leaves! By Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
• Leaf Season (Clifford’s Puppy Days) by Quinlan Lee
• Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy by Martha E. H. Rustad
• Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
• Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
• Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - L:  Consider adding some “l” foods to your menu this week.  Here are a few ideas:
     lemon     lime     lettuce     lasagna     lollipop     lentils     lobster     licorice
     lima beans     linguini     laffy taffy     loganberry     lindenberry     Life cereal
     Lucky Charms cereal     leek     latkes

Feeling adventurous?  Make lemon pound cake with your child. 

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘l’ 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 ‘l’ in their name?
• Go to the Library!
• Visit a local lighthouse  
• Visit the Washington Park Arboretum and observe/talk about the fall changes and various kinds of leaves   

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

Community helpers:  learn about what a librarian and letter/mail carrier do

Write a letter to a friend or family member and mail it.

Sensory Play:

• Make a Leaf Maze 
• Go on a Nature Leaf Walk  
• Make leaf placemats  
• Decorate with leaves!  Collect fresh fallen leaves, attach thread (or fishing line) of varying lengths, then attach to the ceiling with thumb tacks.  Would be fun in your child’s bedroom!
• Use leaves you collect in art projects.

What ‘l’/leafy fun are you having?  I’d love to hear!