Lesson plan
Read, Read, Read!
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify the m sound phonetically and written as the letter M. Students will be able to choose objects that start with the m sound.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(2 minutes)- Call students together.
- Display the cover of the text Millie Waits for the Mail to the class. Ask the students to identify the animals in the picture (cow, chickens).
- Say, “Today we are going to read a book about a cow named Millie. What sound do you hear in the beginning of her name? Let’s all say it together: mmm, Millie. This is the sound the letter M makes.”
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Read the text aloud to the class, emphasizing the words that begin with the letter M.
- Write the upper and lowercase letter M on the board. Say, “This is the letter M. Many words begin with this letter.
- Model how to write the letter, starting at the top. Then say, “Everyone should dip their magic pens (fingers) into invisible ink and practice writing the letter M while we say its sound.”
Guided Practice
(5 minutes)- Write or display the letter M to the class. Tell students to think about the letter M and the sound it makes.
- Model thinking aloud to come up with an M word (e.g., milk) and demonstrate how to sound out the word by saying the word aloud, noting the beginning/middle/ending sounds and connecting those sounds to letters on your alphabet chart.
- Ask students if they can think of any other words that begin with the same sound. Have students turn and talk to share their words with a partner.
- Create a class anchor chart of M words (be sure to include or start with words from the text).
- Encourage students to help sound out their words by following a process that includes:
- hearing the next sound
- thinking about what letter makes that sound
- finding the letter on the classroom alphabet chart
Independent working time
(10 minutes)- Explain that now students will get to practice listening for the beginning sounds in words on their own.
- Display the Letter Sounds M worksheet and go over the instructions.
- Pass out worksheets for each student to complete independently.
Differentiation
Support:
- Pair students together to complete the worksheet.
- Offer students individual copies of the Animal Alphabet Chart for them to reference.
- Provide additional letter identification practice by playing game such as alphabet bingo in a small group.
Enrichment:
- For students needing a greater challenge, encourage them to identify the middle and ending sounds in the words on the Letter Sounds M worksheet.
- Encourage students to write or draw pictures on the back of the worksheet of additional words that begin with the letter M.
Assessment
(5 minutes)- Take anecdotal notes about student answers to questions and their process. These can be used to make determinations about what students understand and/or areas where students need additional support.
- Note student accuracy in identifying letters, sounds, and answering questions to assess if students are able to correctly identify the beginning sound and letters in words.
- Circulate around the room answering questions, and assessing student abilities in pre-reading/reading skills.
Review and closing
(3 minutes)- Call students back together.
- Ask students to share their worksheet with a partner.
- Display images of 2–3 additional words beginning with M and other letters. Have students share out the beginning sound and letter in each word.