# Phoneme Practice: /p/ Sound for Toddlers

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

## About the /p/ Sound

The /p/ sound is an early developing bilabial stop consonant—lips come together and release WITHOUT voice (voiceless). It pairs with /b/ (voiced).

### When Children Typically Master /p/
- Emerges: 12-18 months
- Mastered: By age 3
- Often confused with /b/ initially

## /p/ Words in Talk & Listen

### Vehicle Words with /p/
- **police car** - emergency vehicle
- **pickup truck** - utility vehicle
- **parade float** - celebration vehicle
- **passenger train** - rail transport
- **polar explorer** - adventure vehicle

### Food Words with /p/
- **pizza** - kid favorite
- **pie** - dessert
- **pasta** - dinner
- **pear** - fruit
- **popcorn** - snack

### Body Words with /p/
- **palm** - hand part
- **pinky** - finger

### Clothing Words with /p/
- **pants** - daily wear
- **pocket** - clothing feature
- **pajamas** - sleepwear

### Action Words with /p/
- **push** - force action
- **pull** - opposite action
- **park** - vehicle action
- **pour** - liquid action
- **play** - activity

### Descriptive Words with /p/
- **purple** - color
- **pretty** - appearance
- **please** - politeness

## How Talk & Listen Teaches /p/

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Practice
Tap vehicles with /p/ names (police car, pickup truck) to hear and practice the sound in context.

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
Food Truck delivers /p/ food words (pizza, pie, popcorn) for themed practice.

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

### Sound Games with Mic Recognition
Mic-enabled games detect the /p/ sound's characteristic "pop" of air release.

## Practice Tips for Parents

### Modeling /p/
1. Bring lips together firmly
2. Build up air pressure
3. Release WITHOUT voice (just air)
4. Hold hand in front of mouth to feel the puff

### /p/ vs /b/ Distinction
- /p/ = voiceless (whispered, air puff)
- /b/ = voiced (vocal cords vibrate)
- Put hand on throat to feel the difference

### Fun /p/ Activities
- Popping bubbles ("pop, pop, pop!")
- Playing with toy police cars
- Pouring water play
- "Please" and "thank you" practice

### Common Substitutions
- /p/ → /b/ (voicing): "pie" becomes "bye"
- If persistent past age 3, consult SLP

## Related Resources
- All phoneme guides: littlewheels.app/llm/phoneme-practice-overview.txt
- Police Car page: littlewheels.app/vehicles/police-car
- 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.