Overview
The children will help the mouse make a mess as they recognize and name the uppercase letter M and the lowercase letter m.

Literacy Activities
Make a mess

• Write the uppercase letter M and the lowercase letter m on a whiteboard, name the letters, and have the children write the M and m in the air with their fingers.
• Read Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley, emphasizing the letter M (optional). 
• Show the children the mouse and the tray and explain that the mouse wants to make a mess with the letter M.
• Have the children take turns selecting letter cards from the bag or container.
• Have each child identify the letter that he or she chose, and then ask, “Does ___ go in the mouse’s mess?”
  • If the card is the letter M or m, have the child put it on the tray by the mouse.
  • If it is not the letter M or m, put it in a discard pile.
  • If a child misidentifies a distractor letter as an M or an m, have him or her look at the M and m on the whiteboard and compare them to the letter he or she picked. 
• Once all the M letter cards have been identified, have the children make, mix, mash, and move the mess of letter cards around on the tray.

More Practice
Write the target letter

• Have the children write the letter M and the letter m on pieces of paper (support as needed).
• Help the children cut out the letters and add them to the mouse's mess.