Teach your toddler the ‘M’ sound with these book selections.
Letter M says “mmmm”!
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by!
Do you incorporate reading into your child’s day? Or their week? I’d love to share some suggestions for using books to practice speech sounds. In this new blog post series I’ll be sharing a specially curated selection of books that I would recommend as a speech-language pathologist. The books will be carefully chosen based on highlighting certain speech sounds. If you love the ideas, you can click the link directly from this post so you can make your purchase. Yes, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I love when you support my small business!
You have an integral role in helping your child practice their speech at home and I hope these suggestions help! Happy reading!
Our first speech sound highlight will be on the ‘M’ sound (“mmm”)! I’ve got 2 books to share with you for this one!
To produce this sound the child will need to have their lips closed together. They may feel a humming feeling on their lips and may even be able to tell that the sound is resonating in their nose. Try it out parents, can you tell the sound is resonating in your nose and feel a humming feeling as you produce the ‘M’ sound? I’d recommend you practice teaching “mmm” and not “ma” so letter M says “mmm” is how I would be teaching it as an SLP!
This sound is considered an early developing sound, produced by a typically developing child by the age of 2 years old in the words that they use. It may be produced at younger ages in babbling and first words, like ‘mama’!
One way to practice this sound at home with your child is to choose books that provide opportunities to practice the sound together! Here are just a couple of carefully chosen selections, along with a couple of kid-friendly activities to go along with the books!
My first choice as a speech therapist would be the book If You Give a Moose a Muffin.
The title alone has 2 words that start with M! Activity ideas: create a simple moose puppet using construction paper to cut out a moose head, draw a face on it and attach it to a popsicle stick. This can be used as you read the book! You can also have fun making muffins with your child as an extension activity after reading the book. There are a lot of simple online recipes you can use, or I suggest buying a muffin mix with a few handy supplies if needed and you’ll be on your way to more ‘M’ sound practice as you bake! Another extension activity idea would be to brainstorm with your child other foods that start with M and see how many you have at home or create a pretend grocery list to see how many you think of (I’m thinking of marshmallows, meat, miniature chocolates, maple syrup, etc.)! If you don’t yet own this book, click the (paid) link to make your purchase! I’ve added links to some of my favorite muffin mixes too! I will also be participating in this with you, my toddler and I have been looking for some new activities with the cold winter season coming up so baking together is definitely on the list. And if we get extra speech sound practice then I call it a win!
Another book selection for this sound is There’s A Monster at the End of This Book. This is a special book for me because it was one of my favorites as a child and now I read it with my own toddler! It’s a fun, easy read and will have your child guessing! Plus, it has great practice for the ‘M’ sound as “monster” is repeated several times in the book! Activity ideas: have fun making silly monster faces with your child in the mirror after reading this book. You can also practice monster voices and put up a play tent to hide and pop out like monsters! Additional extension activities include: draw monsters and talk about them, make up a silly story of your own about a monster or go on a pretend monster hunt around the house. You can keep the speech practice really going as you practice saying “monster”. If that word is a bit too difficult, just practice the “mmm” sound each time! Reading the book is sure to be silly, use the (paid) link here to make your purchase if you don’t own this one yet! It’s a must have book! I’m so glad they still make it because I remember reading this when I was little. Your child may get more practice of the ‘M’ sound as they request “more, more, more”!
Please share your experiences with these two book selections! As a speech therapist I love to incorporate the use of books into therapy sessions and also into home practice activities! There are a lot of ways to have fun using books, and the bonus is that your child gets to build some amazing early illiteracy skills by reading with you on a regular basis. You’re a superstar parent for all that you do to help your child learn and grow.