Alphabetically Yours: Volume: 1 Issue: M Free Newsletter by Mrs. Alphabet 26 times yearly. Welcome to the thirteenth edition of Alphabetically Yours. I am looking forward to introducing you to a multitude of activities, suggestions, and tips for Having Fun with the Alphabet. Please feel free to write with any questions and comments I will answer back ASAP! Anne@mrsalphabet.com Mm Activities: Alphabet Animal Sound game By Mrs. Alphabet: Letter Nn Munch like a monkey on a banana Munching outside the state of Louisiana. Hear the m sound in my name Play the m sound animal game! Nashville By Mrs. Alphabet Use this poem to identify and spot M names. elicit new M names, and then brainstorm other places to live that begin with a M from your class. Meg, Mike, and Marge live in Mexico with me Missy, Mick, and Marcia want to visit and see. What other N kids do you think live there In marvelous Mexico far far away from here? Interview 6 people and ask them this question: Did you ever make mudpies? Show your results. Describe a mutt and then illustrate the mutt. Fill in the blanks: If I were a mutt I would ____________, _______________, and _______________. Make a classroom map. Take an imaginary ride on a moose and describe what you see and then illustrate your story. Visit Minnesota locate on your map or globe: http://www.state.mn.us/welcome.html visual home page and lots of links to learn more about Minnesota. Dance the Monster Mash, Macarena, Mambo, Monkey, and the Mexican Hat Dance. Use mini marshmallows as counters or for simple math problems: estimating, counting, adding, sorting, patterns, subtracting, or bingo markers. In addition if you would like to mold marshmallows into rabbits go here: http://www.family.disney.go.com/Categories/Activities/Features/family_0101_0 1/famf/famf010101_famfbunny/ March around the classroom for 5 minutes. Then add a minute or subtract and ask the children if they could tell the difference. M & M Math could incorporate counting, graphing, sorting, measuring, predicting, and comparing. For more information go here: http://www.m-ms.com/factory Monster Cookies: For a marvelous recipe for monster cookies try this: http://www.ichef.com/ichef-recipes/Cookies/1831.html Search your resources for someone who can perform magic tricks and then create a class book: If I were a magician I would _______________ but I wouldn't _______________. Make sure to visit this online magic site before it disappears: http://www.funnybone.net/showroom/frame.htm Brainstorm what makes you mad and ask children how that feels? Graph your favorite flavor of milk and drink some milk and look at all the milk mustaches and then go here to find out how you can get some free stuff for your class: http://www.whymilk.aa.psiweb.com/about/index.html Read the book City Mouse and Country Mouse and then make a mouse graph displaying if you are a City Mouse or a Country Mouse and check these cute pictures and stories by first graders at: http://www.greeceny.com/wr/mouse/ For a cute online story with music try The Adventures of the Sweetbriar's Mice at: http://www.thetoadhall.com/mice.html If I were a mailman I would _________________, but I wouldn't________________. Create class M charts and place child's name at the end of his/her sentence: Make a list of the medium size kids in the class. Find objects that are mauve in color. Make a collage using macaroni for an art project. Use marbles to help your class earn a special treat. When your class earns compliments or works together well add marbles to a jar and when the jar is full reward your class with a treat or privilege. Taste munchkins and see if you can guess the flavor. Make a munchkin graph. Then make a class book: I like to munch on _______________. List names that begin with M and talk about what you see or hear. Check names in the class for m sounds. Make a graph of children that have the M sound in their name. Read a poem and have children color code all the m words. Try introducing this M word: Mississippi Ask the children what they notice about the word. Make a yes or no graph: Do you believe that there are monsters? Whose family has the most M names? Use these words to rhyme: me mom mit map mug Tongue Twister: My mom makes me mind my manners. For some techniques and ideas for using this poem: 1. Place number on one side and corresponding month on the other side of a large poster board or paper 8X11. For example 1 on one side and January on the other 2 on one side and February on the other and continue with this pattern. You could use different colors for each number and the same color for each number and the corresponding month. 2. Pick 12 children from the class to stand in a line displaying the numbers from 1-12. 3. As the children say the poem the child with the number could jump up and turn around displaying the name of the month. 4. These cards could be used to cheer the names of the month too. 5. Make month necklaces that hang from the back where the child can't see the name and the child wearing the necklace has to guess what month he/she is wearing by asking yes or no questions. For example does the month begin with J? 6. Use these cards at a center with an old calendar and see what happens. Months of the Year By Mrs. Alphabet Use number cards while saying the months starting with 1 and January and continuing. I can say all the months now All 12 of them in order that's how. January, February, March, April, and May 7 more for me to say. June ,July, August, and September Now only 3 more to remember October, November, and December. If you feel like monkeying around go here and look at some photos that will have you and your class going ape: http://www.angelfire.com/oh/Monkeys2/ Then you can enjoy these edible monkey creations: http://www.ichef.com/ichef-recipes/Cookies/41999.html M language experience print out or view this web site with motorcycles providing great prompts for describing and elliciting details from kids: http://bikepics.com/ M Books: Meanies Mooncake Moondance Moongame Madeline: cute game and information here at http://www.spe.sony.com/movies/madeline/index.html M Author: Robert Munsch my favorite author at http://www.robertmunsch.com/ Check out: Stop by and read some excellent ideas and suggestions on the chatboard. http://www.mrsalphabet.com/chatboard.html Please help: To help me defer some of my expenses I have put an Amazon.com link in my store: http://www.mrsalphabet.com/store.html and several links on my links page: http://www.mrsalphabet.com/links.html If you could go exploring and visit these pages I would appreciate the inquiries and support. Thank you very much. Alphabetically Yours, Anne AKA Mrs. Alphabet For your Free Newsletter Visit: http://www.mrsalphabet.com