Misti Clifton

Rationale:Since letter recognition is one of the best predictors of first year reading achievement, I think it is important for children to be able to recognize the letters and phonemes in spoken and written language.For children to be able to do this, they need to be able to make a connection between the sounds of the words and the actual letters.In this lesson children will be able to identify, recognize, remember and find /m/ in written and spoken words. (Adams Chapter 2).

Materials:Primary paper, pencils, picture pages with pictures and words (mouse, mouth, mirror, marker, man,) that contain the letter m, Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, cards for each student with lips making mmm sound on one side and sad face on the other, crayons, drawing paper, chart paper with tongue twister written on it (OnMondays Michael's mother Mary mostly mopped.), blank chart paper, and dry erase marker.

Procedures:

1.Start lesson off by explaining to children that our language is made up of 26 letters and that these letters make many different sounds.Today our lesson is going to focus on the letter m which makes the sound mmmm.We are going to find words that contain the letter m and learn how to write the letter m.

2.Have you ever eaten something that was very good?For instance, ice cream or candy?You know that ice cream is so good that you just want to eat it all the time.Well when you got done eating it you said, "mmmmm…I want some more".Have any of you ever done that?So let's pretend that right now we are eating something that is very good, let's name a few things that are mmmm good.Okay lets eat candy.Chew, chew, swallow, mmmm good.Well, that is the sound that we will be looking for today.By that sound, does anyone know what letter we will be looking for today?"M". That is right.

Let's try making the mmm sound again.How does your mouth move while saying mmm?It is like pressing your lips together tightly and humming.Does your tongue move? No, your tongue doesn’t move.Let’s do the mmm sound together.Pay attention to what your mouth does at this time.

3.Okay, now let's try a tongue twister.Everybody look at the chart on the board.Michael made a huge mess while making mud pies.Now let's try saying it together.Michael made a huge mess while making mud pies.Does everyone hear the mmm in the tongue twister?Let's say it again but slower.Mmmichael mmmade a mmmess while mmmaking mmmud pies.Now let’s split up into two groups.The left group I want you to say the mmm sound and the right side you say the rest of the word.For example, if you are saying made, the left side will say mmm and the right side will say ade.Now let's try saying the tongue twister.Now let’s switch sides.The right side say the mmm sound and the left side say the rest of the word.Does everybody hear the mmm sound?

4.Now we are going to write the letter m.We are going to write both uppercase and lower case.I want everyone to take out their pencil and a piece of primary paper.I’m going to demonstrate how to write the letter on the chart paper first.Everyone watch and listen.To make an upper-case letter m you first go straight down, down the slide, up the slide and down straight.Now let’s try doing it together.Everyone practice writing together ( I will help students who are having trouble).Great Job!Now let’s write a lower-case m.I will write it first.Start at the fence.You first go down, hump around, hump around. Now let's try writing the letter together.Everyone write a lower-case m.Now let’s practice writing lower and upper case m’s.I’m going to call out either upper or lower and you are going to have to write it.

5.Now lets talk about some words that have an m and make an mmm sound (Pass out the picture cards).I’m going to call out some words and I want you to put up your card on the side with the mmm sound whenever you hear the sound mmmm.If you don’t hear the sound, then turn your card on the sad face side.Man, dog, pet, mad, jump, jane, lamp, pour?

6.Read the book Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.Talk about the story.Read a few pages over again and have students hold up their card on the mmm side when they hear the mm sound.Tell them to leave their cards down if they don’t.Now let's draw some pictures on your drawing paper that is mmm good to you.Write a few sentences about some of the drawings you made.

7.For assessment, pass out the paper with the different pictures on it.Let the children use their crayons to circle the pictures that contain the mmm sound.Talk about the paper once everyone has completed their page.You could also go around the room and ask students to name a word that we have not talked about in this lesson that has the mm sound.Write these words on the board.I think this is a great way to see if the children have understood the concept of mmm.

Reference:

Adams, Marilyn Jager.Beginning to Read: Thinking and learning about print.Department of Education, 1990. 17.

Lovell, Patty.Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon.Scholastic, 2002.

Emergent Literacy

Misti Clifton

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