Overview
The children will make a mess as they practice writing the uppercase letter M and lowercase letter m and saying the /m/ sound in words such as mat, mix, and moose. 

Literacy Activities
March to find the letter M in a mess

• Read Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley (optional).
• Place letter cards around the classroom.
• Tell the children to find the letter M.
• Have the children chant, “/m/, /m/, /m/” as they march around the classroom.
• Have the children say, “M makes the /m/ sound” when they find an M.

Make a mess

• Tell the children to put the pictures or objects that start with M on a messy mat and the pictures that do not start with M in a trash can.
• Help the children name each picture or object that starts with the letter M and comment that the letter M makes the /m/ sound.
• Have the children take turns selecting a picture or object that starts with M to mix into a mess.
• Have the children mix, make, mash, and move the mess.
• Use a mop (made with yarn taped to the end of a pencil) to “mop up the mess.”

More Practice
Read target words in a text

• Read the Make Mouse a Muffin target text to the children.
• Have the children find and circle the letter M throughout the text, saying the /m/ sound each time they circle an M.

Write the target letter

• Give each child a picture of Millie the Mouse.
• Have the children draw pictures of the items they placed in the mouse mess on the messy mat.
• Have the children label the pictures by writing the letter M next to each object (support as needed).

Make an M out of macaroni

• Write the letter M using glue.
• Have the children place macaroni on the glue while producing the /m/ sound.

Magical musical maracas

• Put a small amount of macaroni into a cup and tape the cup to another cup to make maracas.
• Have the children write the letter M on their maracas and hum a song with the /m/ sound.