# Phoneme Practice: /t/ Sound for Toddlers

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

## About the /t/ Sound

The /t/ sound is an alveolar stop consonant—the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth and releases WITHOUT voice (voiceless). It pairs with /d/ (voiced).

### When Children Typically Master /t/
- Emerges: 12-18 months
- Mastered: By age 3
- Very common in English words

## /t/ Words in Talk & Listen

### Vehicle Words with /t/
- **truck** - category staple
- **train** - rail favorite
- **tractor** - farm vehicle
- **taxi** - city transport
- **tow truck** - rescue vehicle
- **trolley** - street car
- **tricycle** - three-wheeler

### Food Words with /t/
- **toast** - breakfast
- **tomato** - vegetable
- **taco** - dinner
- **treat** - reward

### Body Words with /t/
- **toe** - foot part
- **teeth** - mouth
- **tummy** - belly
- **tongue** - speech organ!

### Action Words with /t/
- **turn** - direction
- **touch** - sensation
- **take** - acquisition
- **tow** - pulling
- **try** - attempt

### Descriptive Words with /t/
- **two** - number
- **tall** - size
- **tiny** - size
- **tired** - state

### Routine Words with /t/
- **time** - schedule
- **today** - temporal
- **tonight** - bedtime

## How Talk & Listen Teaches /t/

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Practice
Tap vehicles with /t/ names (truck, train, tractor) to hear and practice the sound in context. Trucks are among the most popular vehicles!

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
Multiple categories include /t/ words for varied practice.

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

### Sound Games with Mic Recognition
Mic-enabled games detect the /t/ sound's characteristic tongue-tip release.

## Practice Tips for Parents

### Modeling /t/
1. Touch tongue tip to ridge behind upper teeth
2. Build up air pressure
3. Release WITHOUT voice (just air)
4. Feel the puff of air on your hand

### /t/ vs /d/ Distinction
- /t/ = voiceless (whispered, air puff)
- /d/ = voiced (vocal cords vibrate)
- Both made in same place, different voicing

### Fun /t/ Activities
- Truck and train play (so many /t/ words!)
- Toe-touching games
- "Time for..." routine practice
- Counting ("two, two, two")

### Why Trucks and Trains are Perfect for /t/
- High-frequency vehicle words
- Natural repetition in play
- Multiple /t/ positions (initial, medial, final)
- Combines with other sounds (tr- blend)

## Related Resources
- All phoneme guides: littlewheels.app/llm/phoneme-practice-overview.txt
- Truck pages: littlewheels.app/vehicles (multiple truck types)
- Train page: littlewheels.app/vehicles/train
- 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.