It’s time to take a look at how to teach the letter m. We’re mmmmotoring through the letters now.. see what I did there? Here are some fun and easy ways to help your child to learn this letter. It is one of a series of posts about teaching various letters, so do have a look at the others for inspiration for more than just the letter m. Let’s get started.
Strategies for teaching the letter M
Teaching the letter “m” to children can be an exciting and interactive process. Here are some strategies to help you teach the letter “m” effectively:
- Introduce the Letter: Begin by introducing the letter “m” to your child. Show them the uppercase and lowercase forms of the letter and explain its name, “em.” Encourage them to say the letter sound aloud, emphasizing the “mmm” sound.
- Visual Representation: Use visual aids to reinforce the letter “m.” Display posters or flashcards featuring the letter “m” and objects or images that start with the “m” sound, such as “monkey,” “moon,” or “magnet.” This visual representation helps children associate the letter with its sound and corresponding words.
- Letter Formation: Teach your child how to write the letter “m” using correct letter formation. Demonstrate the proper way to write it by tracing the letter on paper or using interactive writing tools. Encourage your child to practice writing the letter “m” on their own, providing guidance and support as needed.
- Sound Sorting: Engage your child in sound sorting activities to identify and distinguish the “m” sound from other sounds. Use a collection of objects or pictures representing various sounds, including the “m” sound. Guide your child to sort and group the objects or pictures based on their initial sound, emphasizing the objects that start with the “m” sound.
- Sensory Activities: Incorporate sensory activities to make learning the letter “m” more interactive. Use materials such as sand, playdough, or finger paint to shape and mould the letter “m.” Encourage your child to trace the letter using their finger and talk about the “mmm” sound as they play with the sensory materials.
- Word Association: Introduce simple words that start with the letter “m” and reinforce their connection to the letter sound. Use visual cues and repetition to help your child associate words like “mouse,” “milk,” “mango,” or “music” with the “m” sound. Encourage your child to say the words aloud, emphasizing the initial “m” sound.
- Letter Hunts: Engage your child in letter hunts or scavenger hunts to find objects or items that start with the letter “m.” Encourage them to search around the house or outdoors for things like toys, books, or items that have an “m” sound at the beginning. This activity helps reinforce the letter sound and its presence in the environment.
- Alphabet Games: Incorporate alphabet games or puzzles that focus on the letter “m.” Use magnetic letters, letter blocks, or letter puzzles to form words that start with “m.” Engage your child in activities like matching uppercase and lowercase letters, identifying the letter “m” among other letters, or arranging letters to spell “m” words.
- Storytime: Read books or stories that feature words with the letter “m” sound. Choose age-appropriate books that highlight the letter “m” and encourage your child to listen for words with the “m” sound as you read together. Discuss and reinforce these words throughout the story.
- Reinforcement and Practice: Provide regular opportunities for your child to practice recognizing and writing the letter “m.” Use worksheets, tracing activities or interactive online resources specifically designed for letter recognition and formation practice.
Remember to make the learning experience enjoyable and age-appropriate for your child. Celebrate their progress and provide positive reinforcement as they learn and become familiar with the letter “m” and its sound.
20 Activities to Teach the Letter M
- Spend time on the internet finding images of things that begin with the letter m. Select a few and print them out. Cut and paste them into a workbook or on a sheet. Label them with their names.
- Make a monkey or mouse mask
- Take a photo of your child’s mouth wide open. Print the photo and label it My Mouth. You can then talk about mouth munching, moaning, and making noises. You could even use it as a starting point for learning about oral hygiene and the names of parts of the mouth and teeth.
- M is for monster. Make Monsters using junk boxes and bottle lids etc from your recycling bin and let them stick/tape items together to make their monster. Paint it afterwards if you like.
- Make blow-paint monsters. Superb fun!
- Make a Monster’s Hat to wear
- Drink Monster’s Slime with a meal made of any of these; mash, marshmallows, mango, mince, mackerel, mandarins, maple syrup, melons, mozzarella, mushrooms, macaroni cheese, m&m’s, marmite, marmalade, meringue, muffins, mutton, and mars bars. When you’ve finished eating, rub your tummy and say mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
- Make yummy homemade milkshakes together.
- M is for the moon, mountain, and man. Make a picture of a man on the mountain on the moon.
- M is for music. Get out your musical instruments and make some music together. Listen to different styles of music and have your child move to the music.
- Make your own maraca. Use those hollow plastic Easter eggs that can be filled and put back together. Fill them with different items to make different sounds. (Rice, beans, stones) place the egg between 2 plastic spoons and wind some masking tape around the spoon head and handles to secure everything. Your child can decorate the maraca with permanent markers to give it some colour.
- Draw a large M on paper. Have your child cover the lines with M&M’s. Bonus, they can eat them afterwards 🙂
- Play memory and matching games. If you can, use images of things beginning with m on the cards. I found this great free printable!
- M is for a mermaid. Cut out the upper body of a girl in a swimsuit from a magazine or print one off the computer. ( if you have a picture of your daughter in a swimsuit, you can use that and personalise the activity) Stick it onto blue paper. Hand draw the tail shape and then do the handwriting continuously mmmmm (all joined up). Give your child glitter glue to follow the bumps along each row. Leave to dry overnight. You can add fish, shells, sand etc to the picture once the mermaid’s tail is dry.
- M is for magnet: Collect a variety of magnets. Go around testing what furniture etc in your home is attracted to magnets. You can also buy magnet kits at most craft shops and make your own.
- Celebrate Mom/Mums. Ask your child to paint or draw a picture of mommy/mummy. You may get a great one for a frame from this activity.
- M is for Mummy (the one found in Egypt). Get a roll of toilet paper-cheap kind. Allow your child to wrap you as a mummy. Then you wrap him. Great fun!
- M is for measuring. Get a variety of tape measures and go around finding things that measure 1cm, 2 cm, 3 cm etc. Write them in your book. Measure your height and weight. measure the length of your arm, leg, foot etc. Label an enlarged photograph of yourself.
- M is for Me! Have them draw themselves and stick or draw pictures of their favourite foods, sports, colours etc around their picture.
- M is for money.
That’s a lot of different things to try with your little one for the letter m. I do hope you enjoy trying some of these out and would love to hear from you if you do! Take care…coming soon, we’ll look at how to teach the letter c.
I am a preschool and primary school teacher and mum to 3 children. I have been involved in education since 1997 and have trained in a variety of educational specialist areas. It is with this expertise that I write articles to help parents and educators provide quality learning experiences for the children in their care.
