best predictor of reading
success is a child’s ability to discriminate between phonemes. (Adams,
best predictor of beginning reading achievement is a child’s knowledge
of letter names. (Adams, 43) It is
important that children are able to match names to
letters and letters to their corresponding sounds. In doing this they
will be better equipped with the knowledge to be skillful readers and,
therefore, be better able to communicate through written
language. The activities in this lesson will help children learn
the name of the letter M and it’s corresponding sound m = /m/.
- Primary Paper &
Pencil (for children)
- Picture of the capital
letter “M” with ice cream cone or slice of pizza in the “valley” of the
M that can be removed and a picture of the lower case “m” with a
bunny’s ears in the humps that can be removed.
- Hand Gesture for the
letter “M” (rubbing hand on belly as to say “Mmm, Mmm Good!”)
- Pictures of different
foods children like – pizza, ice cream, cake, etc…
- Tongue Twister “Mischievous Mindy” by Milissa King
- “Mischievous Mindy made me miss
my Monday meeting.” – have this written out on
paper or on the board for them to see after you say it to them.
- Chalk & chalkboard,
marker & butcher paper OR
something else for teacher to model and write on.
- Sheet with various pictures on it (children will be looking at
the beginning letter of each picture and circliling the pictures that
begin with the phoneme m =
You My Mother? by
Philip D. Eastman
“Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite
letters. It is the letter “M” (show them the letter “M” – either
written or a picture of it) and I see this letter every day because it
is the first letter in my name. I bet that all of you see this
letter every day also – but you may not even notice.
“ How many of you like pizza? How about ice cream?
Does anyone like cake? I like all of these very much and every
time I eat them I make one kind of sound. Can anyone guess what
that sound is? Give the children a chance to answer. I say
“Mmm, Mmm good!” Can you say that? When you say that can
you rub your belly to show me that it tastes “Mmm, Mmm good?” Do
you know that there is something very special about this sound?
It has a letter that is it’s friend and almost always travels with it
wherever it goes. I like to call it the ‘hungry letter’ because
whenever you see it, it says, “Mmmmm.” (Present to them a picture
of the capital and lower case /m/ with removable ice cream cone and
bunny ears.) “Can you say “Mmmmm? When you say
“Mmmmm” I want you to think about what your mouth is doing. Can
you see what mine is doing when I say “Mmmmm?”
“There are many words with the sound “Mmm”. I would like
for you all to listen to what I say and when you hear the “Mmmm” sound
rub your belly like this. Are you ready? – Mischievous Mindy made
me miss my Monday meeting.” (stressing/ dramatizing the m = /m/ in
every word.) Now take the tongue twister out that was written
down (on chart paper, sentence strips or on the board) and show it to
them in written context.
“Now I would like for you to take out your paper and pencil so we
can try to make the letter “M” ourselves. Let’s try the capital M
first – Start on the rooftop and go down straight through the fence and
stop when you get to the sidewalk. Next, go back to where you
started on the rooftop and go down the slide thru the fence until you
hit the sidewalk and then back up the slide thru the fence to the next
rooftop. Finally, go down straight through the fence to the
sidewalk and stop. ‘Good job!!’ Now let’s try the lowercase
m – Start on the fence and go down to the sidewalk then back up toward
the fence and hump around and down to the sidewalk again. Now go
back up to the fence and hump around and down to the sidewalk again.
“I am going to say a couple of words and I would like for you to
tell me when you hear the “Mmm” sound (m
= /m/). Do you hear “mmm” in
mitten or glove? Do you hear “mmm” in home or house? Do you
hear “mmm” in coming or going? Do you hear “mmm” in me or
you? Do you hear “mmm” in some or all? Do you hear “mmm” in
mat or rug?
Read the story Are You My Mother by Philip D. Eastman and discuss
the story with the children. “I am going to read the story Are
You My Mother by Philip D. Eastman. I want you to listen as
I read. When you hear the sound “mmm” ( m = /m/) I would like for you to
I will assess the children throughout the lesson by observing the
answers to questions I ask and by making anecdotal notes. I will
also pass out a sheet with various pictures on it. The children
will circle and color the pictures that have the corresponding “mmm”
sound (m = /m/)
represented in the picture.
M. (1990) Beginning to
Read: Thinking and Learning about
Print. Center for the Study of Reading, The Reading
Educational Center, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. pgs. 40 & 43
P. (1960) Are You My Mother?
Random House Children's Books. New York.
Leigh. - Vacuum that Rug!
The Reading Genie: How to Teach
Phoneme Awareness: Making
Friends with Phonemes –
RETURN TO EXPLORATIONS
Any Questions or Comments? e-mail Milissa