# First Words: Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary for Toddlers

Little Wheels Talk & Listen teaches feelings vocabulary to help toddlers communicate emotions, reducing frustration and supporting social-emotional development.

## Why Feelings Words Matter for Speech Development

Emotion vocabulary is critical for toddlers because:
- Reduces tantrums (children can express feelings with words instead of behavior)
- Builds emotional intelligence (naming feelings helps regulate them)
- Supports social development (understanding others' emotions)
- Foundation for mental health literacy

## Feelings Words by Phoneme Difficulty

### Tier 1 - Easiest (Early Sounds: /m/, /b/, /p/, /w/)
- **mad** - /m/ sound, basic emotion
- **bad** - /b/ sound, simple feeling
- **wow** - /w/ sound, excitement

### Tier 2 - Building (Sounds: /d/, /n/, /h/, /t/)
- **happy** - /h/ sound, positive emotion
- **hurt** - /h/ sound, physical/emotional
- **tired** - /t/ sound, daily feeling
- **done** - /d/ sound, completion feeling

### Tier 3 - Expanding (Sounds: /k/, /g/, /f/)
- **calm** - /k/ sound, regulation goal
- **good** - /g/ sound, positive state
- **fun** - /f/ sound, enjoyment
- **fine** - /f/ sound, neutral state

### Tier 4 - Advanced (Complex Sounds)
- **scared** - /sk/ blend, fear vocabulary
- **silly** - /s/ sound, playful emotion
- **sorry** - /s/ sound, social word
- **excited** - /ks/ blend, anticipation

## How Talk & Listen Teaches Feelings Words

Talk & Listen integrates feelings vocabulary across all vehicle interactions:

1. **Vehicle Card Practice**: Vehicles express emotions (happy truck, tired bus)
2. **Category Gateway**: Feelings-themed word deliveries
3. **Phoneme Drill**: Practice emotion words by target sound

## Feelings Vocabulary Features
- 15+ emotion words organized by phoneme difficulty
- Call-and-response prompts ("Can you say happy?")
- Visual emotion faces paired with audio
- Context-appropriate celebrations (calm vs. excited)
- No-failure design supports emotional safety

## Why Feelings + Vehicles Works

Vehicles provide safe context for emotion learning:
- Vehicles can "feel" things without personal vulnerability
- "The truck is sad" is easier than "I am sad"
- Projection onto vehicles builds emotional vocabulary
- Children transfer understanding to their own feelings

## Practical Applications
- Tantrum prevention ("Use your words - are you mad?")
- Emotional check-ins ("How do you feel?")
- Empathy building ("The bus looks tired")
- Regulation support ("Let's feel calm like the parked car")

## Related Resources
- Learn more: littlewheels.app/learn/parent-guides/first-words-feelings
- Talk & Listen app: littlewheels.app/apps/talk-listen
- SEL resources: littlewheels.app/learn/parent-guides/toddler-emotional-regulation

## About Little Wheels
Little Wheels Talk & Listen teaches 300+ first words across 10 vocabulary themes, including feelings and emotions. One-time $4.99 purchase, works 100% offline, no ads or subscriptions.