February 24-28
Letter of the Week: E
Theme: Elephant
While we still have some consonant letter-sounds, we have finally come to the final vowel letter-sound! Did you know the letter 'E' is the most common letter in English?
‘E’ is a vowel. It makes more than one sound. From a speech perspective, short ‘e’ (as in elephant) is a “smile” sound. The corners of your lips retract toward your ears while your jaw lowers slightly (a small opening between your teeth) while your tongue tenses up and pulls back a bit. It is also a noisy sound (we turn on our voice – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound). 
Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellHold your hand on your neck and say “hhhhhhh” then “e”. Feel the difference?
Long ‘e’ (says its name, as in eel) is also a noisy “smile” sound. Its production is very similar to short ‘e’, except that your jaw does not lower quite as far. In fact it is the sound that gets closest to a real smile. The difference feels subtle, just a baby step away from each other.
In therapy: We will be reading 'e'/elephant themed books, doing ‘e’/elephant themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 'e'.
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 ‘e’ throughout the week. Most important, have fun!
BOOKS
- My “e” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure [Kindle Edition]
- Elmer by David McKee
- Elmer's Special Day by David McKee [Kindle Edition] (also an app, see below)
- Emily's Own Elephant by Philippa Pearce
- Elephant Families by Arthur Dorros
- Engelbert the Elephant by Tom Paxton
- The Saggy Baggy Elephant by K. Jackson, B. Jackson [Kindle Edition]
- Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Williams
- National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Elephants by Laura Marsh [Kindle Edition]
- Elephants: A Book for Children by David Henry Wilson
- "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas
- But No Elephants by Jerry Smath
Looking for other 'E' books? Here is a list of Books to Read for Letter E curated by The Measured Mom.
FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - E: This is a tough one, but here are a couple of ideas…
eggs eggplant egg roll enchilada eclair edamame
Edam cheese English muffin elderberries
Feeling adventurous? Make empanadas with your child!
ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt: how many ‘e’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?
Field Trip: Zoo/Aquarium: how many animals can you find with ‘e’ in their name? Have you visited the elephants?
Letter Detective: look for the letter ‘e’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).
Community "helpers": learn about emperors or explorers
For more 'E' themed learning, check out this Romping & Roaring E Pack by 3 Dinosaurs, this Ee is for Excavator Pack from Royal Baloo, or this Ellie the Elephant E pack from Me & Marie Learning
Sensory Play:
- Go explore!
- Use plastic eggs for a hide and seek puzzle game. Print off pictures of things beginning with the 'E' letter-sound. Cut the pictures in half, put each half in a different egg and then get playing!
- Elephant walk
- exercise - add an alphabet flair with these movement cards (set 2 or 3)
APPS
- Elmer's Special Day App for Android App for iPhone/iPad
- Elephant's Bath HD (iPad)
- Ellison The Elephant App for Android App for iPhone/iPad
Can you think of other ‘e’/elephant-related activities? Please share!
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