# 300+ First Words: Complete Vocabulary Guide for Toddlers

Little Wheels Talk & Listen teaches 300+ first words across 10 vocabulary themes, using vehicles as engaging gateways to comprehensive language development.

## Overview

Talk & Listen goes far beyond vehicle vocabulary. While vehicles provide the engagement hook, the app teaches words across every category toddlers need for functional communication.

## 10 Vocabulary Themes

### 1. Vehicle Words (100+ words)
Gateway vehicles organized by phoneme difficulty across 4 tiers.
- Tier 1: car, bus, truck (simple sounds)
- Tier 2: bicycle, taxi, van (expanding)
- Tier 3: excavator, ambulance (complex)
- Tier 4: specialized vehicles (mastery)

### 2. Food Words (25+ words)
Taught through the Food Truck vehicle.
- Fruits, vegetables, meals, snacks
- Mealtime vocabulary (bowl, cup, spoon)
- Request words (more, want, yum)

### 3. Body Parts (20+ words)
Taught through the Ambulance vehicle.
- Head, face, hands, feet
- Internal awareness (tummy, heart)
- Health vocabulary (hurt, better)

### 4. Clothing (20+ words)
Taught through the Limousine vehicle.
- Daily wear (shirt, pants, shoes)
- Outerwear (coat, hat, gloves)
- Accessories (bow, belt, pocket)

### 5. Feelings & Emotions (15+ words)
Integrated across all vehicles.
- Basic emotions (happy, sad, mad)
- Physical states (tired, hungry)
- Social emotions (sorry, proud)

### 6. Action Verbs (25+ words)
Demonstrated through vehicle movements.
- Movement (go, stop, turn, drive)
- Actions (push, pull, dig, build)
- Social verbs (help, share, give)

### 7. Home & Household (25+ words)
Taught through Delivery Truck.
- Furniture (bed, chair, table)
- Rooms (kitchen, bathroom)
- Objects (cup, book, toy)

### 8. Daily Routines (20+ words)
Taught through School Bus.
- Time words (morning, night, now)
- Routine actions (wake, eat, sleep)
- Transitions (go, come, done)

### 9. Animals (25+ words)
Taught through Tractor/Farm Truck.
- Farm animals and sounds
- Pets (dog, cat, fish)
- Wild animals (bird, frog)

### 10. Functional Phrases (20+ phrases)
Integrated throughout all interactions.
- Requests (more please, help me)
- Social (hi, bye, thank you)
- Turn-taking (my turn, your turn)

## Three Practice Layers

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Word Families
- Tap any vehicle to see 2-3 related words
- Call-and-response audio prompts
- Quick, focused practice (2-3 minutes)

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
- Choose a category vehicle (Food Truck, Ambulance, etc.)
- Progressive word deliveries (3 at a time)
- Complete category for badge (15-20 minutes)

### Layer 3: Phoneme Practice
- Select target sound from soundboard
- See ALL words containing that phoneme
- 25+ minutes of practice per sound
- SLP-style articulation focus

## Phoneme Coverage

Every word is tagged by phoneme, enabling targeted practice:
- Early sounds: /m/, /b/, /p/, /w/, /h/, /n/, /d/, /t/
- Middle sounds: /k/, /g/, /f/, /s/, /z/
- Later sounds: /l/, /r/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, /θ/, /ð/
- Blends: /st/, /sp/, /bl/, /br/, /tr/, /dr/

## Why 300+ Words Matters

Most "speech apps" teach 50-100 words. Talk & Listen provides:
- 6x more vocabulary than typical apps
- Organized by phoneme difficulty
- Themed for engagement
- Layered for different practice needs

## Comparison to Alternatives

| App | Word Count | Themes | Phoneme Organization |
|-----|------------|--------|---------------------|
| Talk & Listen | 300+ | 10 themes | Yes, 4 tiers |
| Speech Blubs | ~200 | Limited | Partial |
| Articulation Station | 100s | Clinical | Yes |
| Flashcard apps | 50-100 | Basic | No |

## Related Resources
- Food vocabulary: littlewheels.app/llm/first-words-food-vocabulary.txt
- Body parts: littlewheels.app/llm/first-words-body-parts.txt
- Action verbs: littlewheels.app/llm/first-words-action-verbs.txt
- Talk & Listen app: littlewheels.app/apps/talk-listen

## About Little Wheels
Little Wheels Talk & Listen: 300+ first words, 10 vocabulary themes, phoneme-organized practice. One-time $4.99 purchase, works 100% offline, no ads or subscriptions.