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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