Letter of the Week: U

November 4-8
Letter of the Week: U
Theme: Umbrella

Please ignore the dust stripes. I don't use an umbrella. But I own one!Well, it’s time we faced facts.  We have returned to the time of year when rain is our frequent companion.  So we are going to talk “umbrellas” for a week.  A stretch, you say?  Pi-shaw!  Okay, okay.  I knew without thinking about it that ‘X’ was going to be a challenge in the theme department.  It wasn’t until I started thinking about it that I realized ‘U’ also presents a challenge (although not to the same extent).  And for the the hardcore Seattleites who never use umbrellas…well, it’s good to know what one is so we can tell stories about how we saw one invert on someone in the windy rain.  Anyone up for singing in the rain, twirling an umbrella?

‘U’ is a vowel.  It makes more than one sound.  Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellFrom a speech perspective, short ‘u’ (as in umbrella) is a “smile” sound.  Your mouth and tongue are in a pretty neutral position, with the jaw lowered just a bit.  It is also a noisy sound (we turn on our voice – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound).  Hold your hand on your neck and say “hhhhhhh” then “u”.   Feel the difference?

Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-BellLong ‘u’ (says its name, as in unicorn) is a “slider” sound.  If you say it slowly (exaggerated), it starts in the smile “ee” position and ends in a round “oo” position.  It slides from one to the other to produce the long ‘u’ sound.  It is also a noisy sound.

In therapy:  We will be reading 'u'/umbrella themed books, doing ‘u’/umbrella themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 'u'.

Suggestions for home:  Pick out the ones that appeal most to your child (and you!).  Kids learn best through active experiences.  And multi-modal learning helps make stronger and more diverse connections in the brain, which helps with retention and recall.  Sprinkle ‘u’ throughout the week.  Most important, have fun!

BOOKS

• My “u” Sound Box (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• One Rainy Day by M. Christina Butler
• I Love The Rain by Margaret Park Bridges
• Rainy Day Slug by Mary Palenick Colburn
• Un-Brella by Scott Franson
• James and the Rain by Karla Kushkin
• Up Above and Down Below by Sue Redding
• The Umbrella Day by Nancy Evans Cooney 
• Umbrella by Taro Yashima
• The Umbrella by Jan Brett

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - U:  This is a tough one, but here are a couple of ideas…
     ugli fruit     udon noodles     unsalted pretzels    

Feeling adventurous?  Try making an upside down cake with your child!

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘u’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?

Field Trip:  Zoo/Aquarium:  how many animals can you find with ‘u’ in their name?

Did you know there is an umbrella bird and an umbrella tree?  

Letter Detective:  look for the letter ‘u’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).

Sensory Play:

• Go for a walk with an umbrella
• See how many things in your home you can get “under”; any you can get “in”?
• Explore how umbrellas can be used in both rainy and sunny (e.g. at the beach) weather

APPS
Now that we have introduced 4 of the 5 vowel letters, start playing around with vowels in words.  Here are a couple of app ideas:

• Vowel Stories Flashcards 
• Phonics Vowels  
• Vowel Stories for Beginning Readers: Short Sounds  
• Vowel Stories for Beginning Readers: Long Sounds   

Can you think of other ‘u’/umbrella-related activities?  Please share!

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