Letter of the Week: M

October 21 - 25
Letter of the Week: M
Theme: Monsters

Are you getting in the Halloween spirit?  For kids with speech, language, communication, social, and sensory issues, now is a good time to start practicing for the “big day”.  Talk about and rehearse the steps and social expectations of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties.  Do some dry runs with costumes to get used to them.  Practice saying (or using alternative means to communicate) “trick or treat” and “thank you”.  Preparation and practice can go a long way to allowing your child to participate in and enjoy the Halloween experience. 

To continue getting into the Halloween spirit, up next is the letter ‘m’ and monsters!  

‘M’ is a consonant.  From a speech perspective, ‘m’ is a Image from the LiPS Program by Lindamood-Bellnose sound.  The lips close, redirecting the flow of air through the nose and allowing the voice to resonate in the nasal passages.  ‘M’ is a noisy sound (voice on – vocal cords vibrate – to make this sound).  Hold your hand to your throat as you say “mmmmmm”; you should feel vibration from the vocal cords.  Now say ‘hhhhhhh’ (a quiet sound); feel the difference?

In therapy:  We will be reading 'm'/monster themed books, doing ‘m’/monster themed activities, and exploring the letter name, letter sound and letter symbol for 'm'.

Suggestions for home:  Sprinkle ‘m’ throughout the week.  Pick out a variety of activities that appeal to your child (and you!).  Kids learn best through active experiences.  Multi-modal learning helps make stronger and more diverse connections in the brain, which helps with retention and recall.  Most important, have fun!

BOOKS

• My “m” Book (Sound Box Books) by Jane Belk Moncure
• Monster Manners by Joanna Cole  
• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone (also an app: iTunes)
• Another Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone  (also an app: iTunes and Amazon Appstore)
• There Was An Old Monster! By Rebecca Emberley  
• If You’re A Monster And You Know It by Ed Emberley & Rebecca Emberley  (also look for other “monster” books by Ed Emberley) 
• Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks  
• I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll  
• My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck  
• Good Night, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman  
• Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters by Jane Yolen  (also check out Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by the same author)  
• The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonnell  
• (For older kids) Everything I Know About Monsters by Tom Lichtenheld  

FOOD
Eating the Alphabet - M:  Consider adding some “m” foods to your menu this week.  Here are a few ideas:
     muffins   mashed potatoes   melon   macaroni   mango (dried)   maple syrup
     mandarin orange   meatloaf   milk   marinara   minestrone soup   molasses
     mushrooms   marshmallows   macadamia nuts   m&ms   mint   Milkyway

Feeling adventurous?  Make monsterpops (a.k.a. frankenpops) with your child.

ACTIVITIES
Scavenger Hunt:  how many ‘m’ things can you find around the house, while shopping at the market, in a magazine or store ad flyers?

Field Trip:  

• Zoo/Aquarium:  can you find any animals with ‘m’ in their name?
• Children’s Museum 
• Market at Pike Place
• Go see a movie or watch Monsters, Inc.

Be a letter detective:  hunt for the letter ‘m’ in a variety of texts (books, magazines, newspaper, road signs, license plates).

Sensory Play:

• Practice making letters in moon dough  

              To make moon dough, mix together:
              8 cups of all-purpose flour
              1 cup of baby oil (or cooking oil if your child might eat it)

              scent (optional)

              Storing in the refrigerator will help it last longer.

• Listen and move to music
• Explore various musical instruments
• Check out these movement cards  ("Monster says, move like a ___!")
• Check out this ‘monster pack’ of Monster printables targeting a variety of skills

APPS
There are many apps with a Halloween theme.  Here are a few starring monsters:

• Go Away Big Green Monster (iTunes and Amazon)
• Even Monsters Get Sick (iTunes and Amazon)
• Guess Who I am! - Halloween Monsters Edition (iTunes)
• Create A Monster HD (iTunes)
• Monster Hair Salon (iTunes and Amazon)
• Toca Kitchen Monsters (iTunes)
• Mask Doodle (iTunes)
• Cutie Monsters (iTunes and Amazon)

Are you ready to get your monster on?  What other ‘m’/monster ideas can you come up with?  I’d love to hear!

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