# 25+ Minutes of Practice Per Phoneme Sound

Little Wheels Talk & Listen provides 25+ minutes of focused practice for each phoneme sound—more depth than most speech apps offer across ALL sounds combined.

## What "25+ Minutes Per Sound" Means

For each target phoneme (like /b/, /m/, /p/), Talk & Listen offers:

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Word Families (5-8 minutes)
- 8-15 vehicles featuring the target sound
- Each vehicle: name, stretched pronunciation, "Can you say?"
- Real photos, authentic sounds, call-and-response

### Layer 2: Category Gateway Vocabulary (8-12 minutes)
- 15-20 themed words per gateway
- Words organized by target sound within themes
- Example: Food Truck → "banana, bread, butter" for /b/ practice

### Layer 3: Phoneme Drill Mode (10-15 minutes)
- Dedicated sound-specific practice
- Mic recognition games (sound detection, not word recognition)
- Interactive phoneme soundboard
- Progressive difficulty within the sound

## Why Depth Matters More Than Breadth

### The Problem with "1500+ Words" Claims
Many apps advertise huge word counts but offer:
- 30 seconds per word (tap, hear, move on)
- No repetition or practice structure
- No phoneme-specific organization
- Shallow exposure, not deep learning

### Talk & Listen's Approach
- Fewer words, deeper practice
- Multiple exposures per word (3-tap progression)
- Organized by phoneme for targeted practice
- SLP-informed repetition patterns

## Sample 25-Minute /B/ Sound Session

### Minutes 1-8: Vehicle Cards
- Bulldozer, Bus, Boat, Backhoe, Bicycle, Big Rig, Buggy, Bobcat
- Each vehicle: hear it → stretch it → say it
- Shake to see real photos
- Natural repetition through exploration

### Minutes 8-18: Category Gateway
- Food Truck → Snack Shop: banana, bread, butter, blueberry
- Body words: belly, back, bottom
- Action words: bounce, bump, build

### Minutes 18-25: Phoneme Drill
- /b/ soundboard practice
- Mic recognition: "Make the /b/ sound!"
- Word-initial, word-medial, word-final positions
- Celebration and reinforcement

## Comparison: Talk & Listen vs. Competitors

| App | Practice Depth Per Sound |
|-----|-------------------------|
| Talk & Listen | 25+ minutes per phoneme |
| Speech Blubs | ~2-3 minutes per sound |
| Articulation Station | 15-20 minutes (clinical) |
| Generic vocab apps | No phoneme organization |

## How Parents Use This

### Daily Practice (10-15 min)
Pick one layer per day:
- Monday: Vehicle cards with /b/ sounds
- Tuesday: Food Truck gateway
- Wednesday: Phoneme drill mode

### Intensive Practice (25+ min)
Work through all three layers for one sound:
- Great for targeting specific sounds
- Matches SLP homework recommendations
- Builds mastery through varied practice

### Weekly Rotation
Focus on one sound per week:
- Week 1: /b/ sound (early developing)
- Week 2: /m/ sound
- Week 3: /p/ sound
- Repeat with new sounds

## SLP Perspective

Speech-Language Pathologists recommend:
- 100+ repetitions per sound for mastery
- Varied contexts (isolation, words, phrases)
- Multiple sessions across days
- Positive reinforcement throughout

Talk & Listen's 25+ minutes per sound provides:
- 50-100+ repetitions per session
- Three distinct practice contexts
- Engaging vehicle theme maintains attention
- No-failure design builds confidence

## Related Resources

- /llm/three-practice-layers.txt — How the layers work together
- /llm/phoneme-practice-early-sounds.txt — Which sounds to start with
- /llm/mic-recognition-speech-games.txt — How mic detection works
- /llm/talk-listen.txt — Complete app overview