Letter of the Week: N

January 13 - 17
Letter of the Week: N
Theme: New Year's

A New Year, a new week, and a new letter!  With 2014 still all fresh and shiny, we are going to continue the celebration and explore what New Year's is all about.

‘N’ is a consonant.  From a speech perspective, /n/ is a nose sound.  It is a sound cousin to /m/ as both are characterized by the voice resonating in the nasal passages.  /n/ is made by the tip of the tongue holding against the upper gum ridge Image from the LiPS program by Lindamood-Bell(behind the top teeth) which redirects the air stream through the nose.  Plug your nose while you are saying 'nnnnn'.  You can't say it while your nose is plugged because the air is directed through the nose instead of going out of your mouth.  'N' is a noisy sound (voice on – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say /n/; you should feel vibration from the vocal cords.  Now say ‘hhhhhhh’ (a quiet sound); feel the difference?

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

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

BOOKS
My “n” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure

P. Bear's New Year's Party: A Counting Book by Paul Owen Lewis

Squirell's New Year's Resolution by Pat Miller

New Year's Day (Celebrations in My World) by Lynn Peppas

The Night Before New Year's by Natasha Wing

Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport

Happy New Year Everywhere! by Arlene Erlbach

New Year's Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays) by David Marx

A Happy New Year's Day by Roch Carrier

Looking for more 'n' books?  Check out this book list for the letter N curated by The Measured Mom.

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - N:  Consider adding some “n” foods to your menu this week.  Here are a few ideas:
     nuts     nectar (juice)     nachos     nectarines     noodles

     nuggets     naan     Nutella     nougat     Nerds

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

Field Trip:  Zoo/Aquarium - can you find any animals with ‘n’ in their name?

Be a letter detective:  hunt for the letter ‘n’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).

Sensory Play:

• This fun New Year's Memory Scavenger Hunt from No Time For Flashcards is full of opportunities for language!
• Have fun making celebratory fireworks with shaving cream and finger paint.  Encourage some practice writing letters, too!

Looking for free 'N' printables?  Check out this Romping & Roaring N Pack from 3 Dinosaurs.

Do you have other ‘n’/New Year's fun ideas?  I’d love to hear!

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