Miss Runyan's Reading
Emergent literacy
Monkey's on the Moon with M
Rationale: The lesson with help students identify /m/, the phoneme represented by M. Through the representation of the M (monkey M), learning to write the letter symbol M, and practice finding /m/ in spoken words (through the cards and the book) students will have a well-rounded knowledge of the phoneme /m/, and be able to identify it. The lesson will also help students develop phoneme awareness, specifically with /m/, in phonetic cue reading.
Materials: primary paper and pencils, chart with “Many monkeys mop the mess on the moon”; word cards with MASH, MAKE, HALL, FIX, and MAIL; assessment worksheet (URL below); the book, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”
Procedures:
1. Teacher says: The language that we speak and write is complex; that means it has many parts! Its kind of like a secret code that we have to break! So today, we are going to work on /m/. We will see what movements our mouths make when we say /m/, so we will be able to recognize it in other words!
2. Review/Background Knowledge: We spell /m/ with M. The word monkey starts with the letter M. Monkeys do a funny dance—they take their arms and act like they are tickling their sides! Lets all do this. It kind of looks like the letter M! We will call this motion our “monkey M”.
3. Let’s all hum so we can hear the /m/ sound. When we say /m/ our lips come together and make a mmmm sound.
4. Let me show you how to find /m/ in the word camp. I will stretch it out very slowly! See if you can listen and find my hum! Ccc-aaa-mmmmm-pp. I’ll do it one more time: cccc-aaaa-mmmmm-pp. Oh, I heard it! I felt my lips hum /m/ in camp.
5. Now, lets try a tongue tickler (will be on the chart). “Many monkeys mop the mess on the moon”. Everybody try it three times together, and each time you hear it make your monkey M. This time, lets stretch out our /m/ at the beginning of the words! “Mmmmmmany mmmmonkeys mmmmop the mmmmess on the mmmmmoon.” We are going to do it one more time, and this time I want you to chop /m/ off the beginning of each word. “/m/any /m/onkeys /m/op the /m/ess on the /m/oon.
6. (have students take out a paper and pencil) We use the letter M to spell /m/. We will do a lower case m first: Start at the fence and draw a line down to the side walk. Then, since your pencil is already at the sidewalk, jump up to the fence and then down to the sidewalk (the top should be curved). Then jump back up to the fence and back down again (the top should be curved again). Next, we are going to draw an upper case M: Start at the sidewalk and draw a line all the way up to the rooftop. Then, draw a slanted line to the fence. From that point, draw another slanted line back up to the rooftop. Last, draw a straight line down to the sidewalk. I want everyone to draw nine more lower case m’s and nine more upper case M’s, and I’ll come by and put a happy face on your paper!
7. Let’s do an activity all together as a class! I’ll say two words and I will call on one of you to tell me which word you heard /m/ in, and how you knew that was the right answer. Home or house? Bounce or jump? Team or group? Milk or water? Seam or thread? Mother or father?
8. Now, we are going to read a book and every time you hear /m/ I want you to make your monkey M! The book is called “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”. In this book, it talks about all the crazy things that could happen or that’ll you will have to do if you give a moose a muffin! If you give him a muffin, he might want some jam… when its all gone he’ll want more! Let’s read to find out what could happen. Remember to make your monkey M every time you hear /m/!!
9. Show the student MASH. Then, show them how to determine whether it is mash or sash. Then let the student try some by him/herself. MAKE: make or lake? HALL: mall or hall? FIX: mix or fix? MAIL: mail or snail?
10. Assessment: Pass out work sheet for students complete, while individually working with students on step 9. The worksheet will have students color in the upper and lower case symbol M, aiding in identifying the differences between the letter symbols.
References:
Brush Your Teeth with F http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/sightings/murrayel.html
Mia Reynolds, Mr. Monster’s Madness https://princessmcat2.wixsite.com/mysite/emergent-literacy
Assessment worksheet: http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/m-color1.htm
