5 Tips to Teach /p/ at Home

If your little one is learning to say the /p/ sound, you are in the perfect place! The /p/ sound is one of the earliest developing sounds because it is easy to see, hear, and feel. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, these five simple tips will help make practicing the /p/ sound fun and engaging!

 

1) Make it Visual

First, it is helpful to know how the /p/ sound is made. This makes it much easier to teach and describe to our little ones! Sounds are classified in three important ways:  by place, manner, and voice.

Place: The /p/ sound is known as a bilabial sound, which means that it is made by bringing our lips together.

Manner: The /p/ sound is a stop or plosive sound. With enough pressure, the lips "pop" with a burst of air.

There is a buildup of pressure behind the lips, which then forces the lips open with a "pop"! I like to call /p/ the "popping sound" for this very reason. :)

Praise your child by giving concrete feedback like, "I saw your lips pop!" or "Great job making your lips POP when you said /p/!"

Voice: The /p/ sound is a voiceless sound, meaning our voice box stays "off" as we say it. I like to remind little ones that it is a "quiet" sound.

During my therapy sessions, I like to exaggerate this "popping" movement by taking either my index finger or thumb and bringing to my mouth while my lips are closed. As I say the /p/ sound, I push my finger away.

 

2) Pair it with Play

The best way to learn is through play, of course! Think of all of the toys and activities that begin with /p/: puzzles, pillow forts, puppet, etc. During these activities, you'll have plenty of opportunities to model and practice the /p/ sound.

Here are some of my favorite examples:

• Bubbles: Ask your child to "pop the bubbles"! Say "pop" every time they poke one.

• Picnic: Go on a picnic! You can focus on the words: pack, pour, plate, picnic, please. Bonus points for packing foods that begin with /p/: pretzels, pizza, popcorn, pears.

• Puppet Show: Put on a puppet show! You can use real puppets if you have some, or simply use stuffed animals. Take turns creating fun narratives and let your child's imagination run wild.

I actually made a speech sound calendar for the month of November that is loaded with fun activities to incorporate /p/ practice into play. You can download it for FREE by joining my email list. 

 

3) Focus on Simple, Repetitive Words during Routines

Practice doesn't have to occur only during play time or structured learning time. Children are exposed to words all throughout the day. Think of all of the daily routines you and your child have together: waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast... You don't necessarily have to add anything new to your routine. Language occurs in all of these moments. It's just a matter of focusing on where you can add /p/ practice to these already existing routines.

Here are some examples of words you can incorporate during routines that you and your child already have:

• Getting Dressed: "Put on your pants! Let's pick a shirt.

• Snack Time: "Here's your pear! Let's put it on your plate."
• Story Time: "Look, it's a puppy!"

 

4) Use the Pom-Pom Trick to Directly Practice /p/

I included this trick at the end of my book, "Pete the Puppy". I love it so much that I wanted to mention it here too.

With the pom-pom trick, you can use any light object: a pom-pom, cotton ball... I've even used some toilet paper rolled up into a little ball. Really, anything you have handy around the house will do!

The trick is the put the light object onto the center of your palm. You will bring your palm up to your chin and make sure your palm is flat. With an exaggerated movement, you will produce /p/ using lots of pressure.

If all goes according to plan, you should see that pom-pom fly off of your hand!

Children love this silly activity, and often can't wait to try it for themselves! 

5) Read Sound-Loaded Books

Books with lots of /p/ words are a wonderful way to encourage speech practice in a fun, interactive way. Look for books that are specifically designed for speech sound practice, like "Pete the Puppy" from our website, Play on Words Publishing!

In "Pete the Puppy", your child can help Pete search for popcorn and learn new tricks by saying "paw" and "pull". With interactive prompts and clickable audio clips, it's designed to keep kids engaged while targeting the /p/ sound.

 

Make it Fun!

Practicing speech sounds is most effective when it feels like fun, rather than like work. By turning practice into play and making it a part of your daily routine, your child will feel more motivated to learn and succeed.

Download our free /p/ Sound Activity Calendar for more fun, easy ideas to practice at home!

Cheering you on,
Shannon Rumpf, M.S. CCC-SLP
Play on Words Publishing