Letter of the Week: P

October 7 - 11
Letter of the Week: P
Theme: Pumpkins

‘P’ is a consonant.  /p/ is one of the first developing speech sounds.  Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellFrom a speech perspective, ‘p’ is a lip popper.  Just as with ‘b’, the lips are doing the work to make this sound.  The lips are tensed to dam up air coming from the lungs, and then open suddenly as the air is allowed to pop them open.  ‘P’ and ‘B’ are sound brothers; they are made exactly the same way.  Well, exactly with one difference.  ‘P’ is the quiet brother (no voice).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say it; no vibration from the vocal cords.    

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

Suggestions for home:  Sprinkle ‘p’ 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 “p” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
• From Seed to Pumpkin (Let’s Read & Find Out Science) by Wendy Pfeffer
• Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington
• The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
• The Very Best Pumpkin by Mark Kimball Moulton
• Pumpkin Town! by Katie McKy
• The Pumpkin Fair by Eve Bunting
• How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara
• Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson
• The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - P:  Consider adding some “p” foods to your menu this week.  Here are a few ideas:
     peanut butter     peas     popcorn     popovers     Pad Thai     pancakes        
     parsnips     pasta     pastrami     peaches     pears     pecans     papaya
     pickles     pie     pork chops     pineapple     pizza     plums     pinto beans    
     pretzels     pudding     pumpkin     peppermint patties     potatoes

Feeling adventurous?  Check out these “20 Great Pumpkin Recipes”

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘p’ 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 ‘p’ in their name?
• Go to a pumpkin patch 
• Play at the park
• Go to the Planetarium

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

Community helpers:  learn about what police do

Sensory Play:

• paint (for extra sensory fun, make scented puffy paint!)  
• make a sensory bin with pumpkin seeds and pinecones
• do a pumpkin patch letter match
• make pumpkin playdoh

          What You Need:

               5 1/2 cups flour

               2 cups salt

               8 teaspoon cream of tatar

               3/4 cup oil

               1 (1 1/2 ounces) container pumpkin pie spice

               orange food coloring (2 parts yellow, 1 part red)

               4 cups water

          What You Do:

               1.  Mix all ingredients together. 

               2.  Cook and stir over medium heat until all lumps disappear. 

               3.  Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth.

               4.  Store in airtight container.

What ‘p’/pumpkin fun would you add to this list?  I’d love to hear!

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