# Phoneme Practice: /k/ Sound for Toddlers

Little Wheels Talk & Listen provides 25+ minutes of /k/ sound practice through vehicle words, vocabulary themes, and sound-specific games with mic recognition.

## About the /k/ Sound

The /k/ sound is a velar stop consonant—the back of the tongue touches the soft palate and releases WITHOUT voice (voiceless). It pairs with /g/ (voiced).

### When Children Typically Master /k/
- Emerges: 18-24 months
- Mastered: By age 3-4
- Back sounds develop after front sounds

## /k/ Words in Talk & Listen

### Vehicle Words with /k/
- **car** - everyday vehicle
- **crane** - construction
- **cab** - taxi/truck part
- **camper** - RV type
- **kayak** - water vehicle
- **cart** - various types (golf cart, go-kart)

### Food Words with /k/
- **cookie** - treat (high motivation!)
- **cake** - celebration food
- **cup** - drinking container
- **carrot** - vegetable
- **corn** - vegetable

### Clothing Words with /k/
- **coat** - outerwear
- **cap** - hat type

### Animal Words with /k/
- **cat** - pet
- **cow** - farm animal
- **duck** - ends in /k/

### Action Words with /k/
- **come** - approach
- **carry** - transport
- **catch** - grab
- **kick** - foot action
- **cook** - food preparation

### Descriptive Words with /k/
- **cold** - temperature
- **clean** - state
- **cool** - temperature/slang

## How Talk & Listen Teaches /k/

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Practice
Tap vehicles with /k/ names (car, crane, cart) to hear and practice the sound in context.

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
Food Truck delivers /k/ food words (cookie, cake, cup, carrot) for themed practice.

### Layer 3: Phoneme Drill Mode
Select /k/ from the soundboard to see ALL /k/ words across categories. Practice for 25+ minutes on one sound.

### Sound Games with Mic Recognition
Mic-enabled games detect the /k/ sound's characteristic back-of-tongue release.

## Practice Tips for Parents

### Modeling /k/
1. Raise back of tongue to soft palate
2. Build up air pressure
3. Release WITHOUT voice (just air)
4. Feel the "click" at the back of mouth

### /k/ vs /g/ Distinction
- /k/ = voiceless (just air)
- /g/ = voiced (vocal cords vibrate)
- Same tongue position, different voicing
- Put hand on throat to feel difference

### /k/ vs /t/ (Fronting)
Common substitution: "car" becomes "tar"
- /t/ is made at the front (tongue tip)
- /k/ is made at the back (tongue back)
- Use visual cues showing tongue position
- If persistent past age 4, consult SLP

### Fun /k/ Activities
- Car play ("car, car, car!")
- Cookie requests ("cookie please!")
- Catching games ("catch!")
- Cat and cow animal sounds
- Counting ("one, two, three" - ends in sounds)

## Related Resources
- All phoneme guides: littlewheels.app/llm/phoneme-practice-overview.txt
- Car pages: littlewheels.app/vehicles (multiple car types)
- Talk & Listen app: littlewheels.app/apps/talk-listen

## About Little Wheels
Little Wheels Talk & Listen provides 25+ minutes of practice per phoneme across 300+ words. Mic recognition games, call-and-response prompts, SLP-informed methodology. One-time $4.99, 100% offline.