Language
Spoken language, writing, and reading.
Montessori Reading: A Complete Guide to Teaching Your Child to Read
May 15, 2026 · Concept / Article
Reading the Montessori Way: A Complete Guide Teaching your child to read is one of the most rewarding journeys in Montessori education. Unlike conventional approaches that jump straight into phonics drills and sight words, the Montessori method builds reading readiness through a carefully sequenced progression of sensorial experiences, hands-on letter …
Montessori Reading
March 20, 2026 · Concept / Article
Reading the Montessori Way: A Complete Guide to Teaching Your Child to Read Teaching a child to read is one of the most rewarding milestones in a Montessori education — and it doesn't happen by accident. Dr. Montessori discovered that when children are given the right sensorial foundation, the right …
The Moveable Alphabet
March 18, 2026 · Concept / Article
Age: 4 and onwards (some children may be ready earlier). Use after children know most of the short letter sounds. Purpose: To prepare for spelling, writing, and reading. Materials A large box with spaces for letters of the alphabet, plus a few extra boxes for the vowel "y." The boxes …
Days of the Week
July 13, 2014 · Concept / Article
Teaching the Days of the Week the Montessori Way One of the most beautiful things about Montessori education is how naturally it weaves learning into the rhythm of everyday life. Teaching the days of the week is a perfect example of this. Rather than drilling young children with rote memorization, …
Writing Skills
January 5, 2014 · Concept / Article
Writing Skills: The Montessori Approach to Writing Readiness In the Montessori philosophy, writing is not something we simply teach a child to do one day — it is something the child has been preparing for long before a pencil ever touches paper. Dr. Maria Montessori observed that children experience a …
Reading Object and Picture Boxes
January 4, 2014 · Concept / Article
What Are Reading Object Boxes and Picture Boxes? There is a magical moment in every young child's Montessori journey when the symbols they have been tracing and sounding out suddenly come alive as real, readable words. Reading object boxes and picture boxes are the beautifully designed Montessori language materials that …
Pink Reading Scheme
November 15, 2012 · Concept / Article
Building Your Own Montessori Pink Reading Scheme One of the things I love most about the Montessori method is how easily you can build a reading scheme at home using pink, blue, and green words. We always begin with pink. The pink scheme introduces short, phonetic, three-letter words—the perfect first …
Montessori Phonogram & Vowel Reading Lessons
November 14, 2012 · Concept / Article
Four hands-on materials to guide your child from basic phonics into vowel teams and phonograms. Once your child has confidently mastered the basic phonic sounds for reading, they're ready for a wonderful next step: learning the phonograms and digraphs that make English such a rich and interesting language. These lessons …
Montessori and Santa Claus
November 10, 2012 · Concept / Article
Montessori and Santa Claus: Balancing Fantasy, Reality, and the Joy of Giving This is a topic that comes up every single year in Montessori circles, and every year I find myself reflecting on my own childhood as I think through it. You see, my mother was Norwegian, and she didn’t …
Reading Command Cards
May 28, 2012 · Concept / Article
Reading Command Cards There's something truly magical about the moment a child realizes that those little symbols on a page actually mean something. And with Montessori command cards, that meaning jumps right off the card and into their whole body! If you're looking for a joyful, active way to help …
Alphabet Phonetic Sounds — Teaching Montessori Letter Sounds A to Z
May 27, 2012 · Concept / Article
Montessori Phonetics: A Guide to Teaching Letter Sounds Learning the phonetic sounds of the alphabet is a foundational step in your child's journey toward reading and writing. In the Montessori approach, we introduce these sounds carefully and precisely, giving children the tools they need to decode language with confidence. Whether …
How to Make Reading Cards
May 27, 2012 · Concept / Article
Montessori 3 Part Cards Montessori 3-part cards can be used with classified cards or nomenclature cards. When working with preschool children use vocabulary or words that are a part of their lessons or environment. Nomenclature cards are used to help teach reading vocabulary as well. Use two copies of a …
Life Cycle Reading Cards
January 18, 2010 · Concept / Article
Why Life Cycle Reading Cards Belong in Your Montessori Environment There is something deeply magical about watching a young child trace the journey of a tiny egg becoming a vibrant butterfly, or a tadpole transforming into a leaping frog. Life cycle reading cards bring this magic into your child's hands, …
Reading Ideas
January 13, 2010 · Concept / Article
Teaching Words for Non Phonological Readers Sometimes the Montessori approach for reading does not work as expected. There are some children who are not able to read phonetic words very well after they have been presented the Montessori method of sounding out letters, spelling words and reading words. This even …
Montessori Word List English
July 14, 2009 · Concept / Article
Montessori Word Lists for English: Your Complete Guide to Reading Success In Montessori education, learning to read is a carefully scaffolded journey that unfolds naturally when children are given the right tools at the right time. Word lists are one of the essential tools that honor the sensitive period for …
Exercises for the Moveable Alphabet
June 30, 2007 · Concept / Article
Introductory Exercises for the Moveable Alphabet 1. Your child can build words on the mat on his or her own. Encourage your child to try any words that he or she wishes. A quality Montessori Moveable Alphabet set makes this activity much easier and more enjoyable for young learners. 2. …
Language
June 30, 2007 · Concept / Article
Your Child's Learning Talent: Exceptional Linguistic Ability! Congratulations, mama! Based on your quiz responses, your child shows a remarkable gift for language. Whether they're narrating elaborate stories to stuffed animals, sounding out words on cereal boxes, inventing new words that somehow make perfect sense, or asking "but why?" for the …
My child doesn't want to use sandpaper letters
June 30, 2007 · Concept / Article
My Child Doesn't Want to Use Sandpaper Letters — What Can I Do? My daughter doesn't want to do the sandpaper letters, but is very interested in writing. What can I do instead? Sandpaper letters are one of the most beloved Montessori language materials — they teach letter shapes and …
Why Can't My Child Read?
June 30, 2007 · Concept / Article
Your child may have one or more of these issues that prevent her or him from reading. Before you worry, it helps to walk through the common stumbling blocks one at a time. Reading is built on a foundation of many smaller skills, and sometimes a single missing piece is …
Book Corner
June 30, 2007 · Concept / Article
Book Corner Welcome to our Book Corner! Whether you're looking for free Montessori books for yourself or wonderful reads for your little ones, you'll find plenty of inspiration here. Reading is one of the most beautiful gifts we can share with our children, and choosing the right books makes all …