LESSON 6: Pp /p/

Help Your Child Learn to Say, Write, and Explore the Letter Pp!

What Will We Learn Today?

The letter Pp spells the sound /p/, like in the word pan. It’s a fun and important sound for beginning readers to learn. In this lesson, your child will learn how to say the /p/ sound, write uppercase and lowercase Pp, and blend simple wordsusing the sounds they know.

Let’s pop into learning with the letter Pp!

How to Make the /p/ Sound

The letter Pp makes the /p/ sound, like in pan, pen, and pig.

Here’s how to teach your child to say /p/:

• Press your lips together.

• Quickly open them and let a small puff of air pop out.

• Do not use your voice—/p/ is an unvoiced sound.

• Say: /p/. It’s a stop sound, so you say it quickly and sharply.

Articulate
Try making the sound together: /p/, /p/, /p/. Hold a tissue or a hand in front of your mouth to feel the puff of air when you say the sound correctly.

How to Write the Letter Pp

Grab your whiteboard and marker—it’s time to write!

Uppercase P

• Draw a straight line down.

• Go back to the top.

• Draw a curved line to the right that goes around and stops in the middle of the line.

Lowercase p

• Draw a straight line down below the writing line.

• Go back to the top.

• Draw a small curved line to the right—just like the top of a big P.

Practice writing with markers, chalk, or in sand. You can even shape the letter using clay or playdough.

Fun and Meaningful Activities for Letter Pp

Pp Sound Hunt

Look around your home together for things that start with the /p/ sound. Try finding:

• pan

• pillow

• pencil

• paper

Ask:

“Can you hear the /p/ sound at the beginning of that word?”

Pp Collage

Create a Pp Collage using magazine clippings or drawings of things that begin with the /p/ sound. Label them together and let your child decorate the page with big and small Pp letters.

Read and Spot the /p/ Sound

Read these sentences and help your child listen for the /p/ sound.

• The pig sat on the pillow.

• Pat has a pink pen.

• Pass the pan, please.

• I see a puppy.

Ask:

“Which words have the /p/ sound? Can you say them again?”

Color, Trace, and Write

Use worksheets where your child can:

• Color pictures that begin with /p/

• Trace uppercase and lowercase Pp

• Practice writing the letter Pp on their own

Download the Pp Worksheet Here:

Flashcard Practice – Beginning Sound /p/

For flashcard practice, let’s focus on words with /p/ at the beginning.
These words help children hear and say the starting /p/ sound clearly.

Examples:

• pen

• peg

• pear

• pizza

Show a picture card, say the word slowly, and ask:
👉 “What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word?”

Download the Pp Flashcards here.

Blending Sounds to Read Words

Now that your child knows several letter sounds, it’s time to practice blending them into simple words. Try sounding out the letters slowly and blending them together to read the whole word.

Practice with:

• pat

• pan

• map

• tap

Model how to stretch the sounds:
“/p/–/a/–/t/” → pat
Then say it fast: pat

Let your child blend the sounds after you:

“Your turn—can you read this word?”

Conclusion

The letter Pp introduces children to a punchy, clear sound that helps form many fun and familiar words. With sound practice, writing support, and early blending activities, your child will continue building reading confidence—one sound at a time.

Keep the learning playful and consistent, and watch your child grow into a strong, joyful reader. What’s your child’s favorite word with the /p/ sound? Share it in the comments!