# Phoneme Practice: /m/ Sound for Toddlers

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

## About the /m/ Sound

The /m/ sound is typically the FIRST consonant children produce. It's a bilabial nasal—lips come together while air flows through the nose with voice.

### When Children Typically Master /m/
- Emerges: 6-12 months (often in babbling)
- Mastered: By age 2-3
- Often appears in first words ("mama," "more")

## /m/ Words in Talk & Listen

### Vehicle Words with /m/
- **motorcycle** - two-wheeler
- **mail truck** - delivery vehicle
- **monster truck** - exciting favorite
- **mobile crane** - construction
- **monorail** - train type
- **moon buggy** - space vehicle

### Food Words with /m/
- **milk** - drink
- **more** - request word
- **muffin** - breakfast
- **meat** - protein
- **melon** - fruit

### Body Words with /m/
- **mouth** - speech-relevant!
- **muscle** - body part

### Action Words with /m/
- **move** - motion
- **make** - creation
- **mix** - combining

### Descriptive Words with /m/
- **my** - possession
- **me** - self-reference
- **mad** - emotion
- **messy** - state

### Functional Phrases with /m/
- **more please** - polite request
- **my turn** - turn-taking
- **me too** - inclusion

## How Talk & Listen Teaches /m/

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Practice
Tap vehicles with /m/ names (motorcycle, mail truck) to hear and practice the sound in context.

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
Food Truck delivers /m/ food words (milk, more, muffin) for themed practice.

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

### Sound Games with Mic Recognition
Mic-enabled games detect when children produce the /m/ sound. Humming games ("mmmmm") build awareness before words.

## Practice Tips for Parents

### Modeling /m/
1. Bring lips together gently
2. Hum through your nose
3. Feel the vibration on lips
4. Extend the sound ("mmmmmilk")

### Fun /m/ Activities
- Humming songs together
- "Mmmmm, yummy!" at mealtimes
- Motorcycle sounds ("mmmmm-vroom!")
- "More, more, more!" games

### Why /m/ is Often First
- Lips naturally close during nursing/bottle
- Nasal sounds are easier than stops
- High frequency in caregiver speech ("mama")
- Visible lip closure for imitation

## Related Resources
- All phoneme guides: littlewheels.app/llm/phoneme-practice-overview.txt
- Motorcycle page: littlewheels.app/vehicles/motorcycle
- 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.