Free pre-K lesson plan · Unit 3: Healthy me
Pre-K 4, week 10: the letter m, squares and rectangles
This week your learner will hear the m sound, sort squares and rectangles, and talk about foods they know and foods to try. Each activity takes about 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 10 of 36 · See the Pre-K 4 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
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5-minute parent prep
- Write a big M and a small m on a sheet of paper.
- Find a square thing and a rectangle thing, like a napkin and a book.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, a napkin, a book, a plate, a rug or towel. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Letter m | Letter m page, Mmm game card |
| Tuesday | Math | Squares and rectangles page, Shape detective card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Foods to try page, Set the table card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Mountain trace page, Robot walk card |
| Friday | Story and review | Song of the week, Parent notes page |
| Every day | Read, sing, play | Read a picture book together, sing the song of the week, play outside and check in on feelings with the free feelings cards. |
Printable pages
Letter m
Say: "M says mmm, like something yummy. Moon, mouse, milk." Your learner traces the big M and the small m, then colors the pictures that start with m.
moon
mouse
milk
moon
mouse
milk
Squares and rectangles
Say: "A square has 4 sides the same. A rectangle has 2 long sides and 2 short sides." Your learner counts the sides of each shape, then colors the squares in one color and the rectangles in another.
Foods to try
Say: "Which of these foods have you tried? Which one would you like to try?" Your learner names each food, colors the ones they have tried and circles one to try this week.
Mountain trace
Say: "Up the mountain, down the mountain, like the letter m. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each zigzag from left to right without lifting the crayon.
Activity cards
Mmm game
- Rub your tummy and say "mmm" together.
- Say a word. If it starts with m, your learner rubs their tummy and says "mmm".
- Try: mop, sun, map, toy, mitten, milk.
Easier: Use only mop and sun.
Next step: Say the sounds m, a, p slowly. Your learner says the word: map.
Say this: "Map starts with mmm."
No supplies: Needs nothing.
Literacy: phonological awareness
Shape detective
- Run a finger along the 4 sides of the napkin and count them.
- Do the same with the book. Which sides are long? Which are short?
- Find more squares and rectangles: a window, a door, a box.
Easier: Look only for rectangles.
Next step: Ask "Is a square a kind of rectangle?" and talk about it.
Say this: "The door is a rectangle. Two long sides, two short sides."
No supplies: Find shapes in a picture book.
Math: geometry
Set the table
- Your learner helps set the table for a meal.
- Count the people and put one plate at each place.
- Name the food at the meal and invite your learner to try one small bite of something new.
Easier: Set one place only.
Next step: Your learner puts a cup and a spoon by each plate too.
Say this: "Thank you for helping. You set a plate for everyone."
No supplies: Set a pretend table for toys with paper plates.
Social-emotional: helping at home
Robot walk
- Walk along one side of the rug with stiff robot steps.
- Turn at the corner and walk the next side.
- Count the sides and corners as you go.
Easier: Walk 2 sides.
Next step: Walk a rectangle: long, short, long, short.
Say this: "Beep, corner. Turn. Beep, corner."
No supplies: Walk a square around a chair.
Physical: gross motor
Song of the week: Mmm, m
Mmm, mmm, m, my mouth is shut,
Moon and mouse and milk and more.
Square and rectangle, count the sides,
Mmm, mmm, m, and out the door.
Actions: Press your lips together on each "mmm". Try next: Draw a square in the air on the third line.
Parent notes for Friday
Not a test. Notice what your learner does this week, and practice the rest later. Nothing here is sent to UpOnly Learning.
- Says the m sound
- Finds m on a page
- Tells a square from a rectangle
- Names a food they would like to try
Want the bigger picture? Use the free kindergarten readiness checklist.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting with real objects.
- Child-size scissors only, with an adult watching. Hand scissors over handle first.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
- Adults handle anything hot or sharp.
Questions parents ask
Keep it simple: a square has 4 sides that are all the same length, and a rectangle has 2 long sides and 2 short sides. Have your student run a finger along each side and count. Doors, books and windows are easy rectangles and squares to find at home.
Offer a new food next to foods your student already likes, and let them touch, smell or take one small bite without pressure. Talking about colors and shapes of food helps. Many students need to see a food several times before they try it, so keep offering calmly.
Oral blending means hearing sounds said one at a time and putting them together into a word, with no reading. You say "m, a, p" and your student says "map." It starts this unit with short words and is an early step toward reading in kindergarten.
Paper, crayons, a napkin, a book, plates, cups and spoons for setting the table, and a rug or towel for the robot walk. Every activity also has a no-supplies swap, so you can start this week with what you already have at home.
Related pages
- Free Pre-K curriculum for 4 year olds, week by week
- Child development guide: preschoolers, 3 to 5
- Free kindergarten reading practice and kindergarten math practice for when your learner is ready for more
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 4 Full Year
$19.99. One-time purchase, no subscription.
The whole Pre-K 4 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 4 to 5, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
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UpOnly Learning Pre-K is general education, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your learner's development, talk with your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 911.
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