Articles tagged with "Reading"
Phonogram Words
March 20, 2026
Phonograms are the spelling patterns that go beyond simple phonetic (CVC) words. Once your child has mastered the Pink, Blue, and Green reading cards, these word lists help them tackle the rich variety of English spelling patterns. This comprehensive reference contains 65 phonogram categories with hundreds of words organized by …
Montessori Reading
March 20, 2026
Reading — The Montessori Way The sensorial lessons prepare your child for writing and reading. Comparing and contrasting shapes, colors, and ideas have been introduced and understood. The Sandpaper Letters or regular alphabet should be mastered, using all the short vowel sounds and hard consonant sounds. Spelling using the Moveable …
Lesson of the Day 22: Reading Adventures
March 18, 2026
Reading Adventures ...r, r, r the reading sound, R makes a reading sound! Reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. In Montessori, children learn to read through a careful progression from sounds to letters to words. By the time a child picks up a book, …
Sandpaper Letters Printout — Cursive Alphabet Gallery
March 9, 2026
Free Montessori Sandpaper Letters — Cursive Alphabet These beautiful cursive letter printouts follow the traditional Montessori color coding: Blue letters = Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) Red letters = Consonants (all other letters) Recommended MaterialsMontessori Sandpaper Letters – Cursive Lowercase SetMontessori Moveable Alphabet Print these letters on card stock …
Writing Skills
January 5, 2014
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
Often, in a Montessori classroom, reading begins after a child can read the words he or she spells with the moveable alphabet. It’s okay if your child can’t read the word he or she spells, it’s a skill that will come later. This first stage usually is not fluent reading, …
Pink Reading Scheme
November 15, 2012
Pink Reading Scheme: Your Child’s First Step Into Reading There’s something truly magical about watching your child sound out their very first word. In the Montessori approach, we don’t rush this moment — we build toward it carefully, letter by letter, sound by sound. The Pink Reading Scheme is where …
Reading Vowel Lessons
November 14, 2012
Montessori Elementary Level Reading Lessons Here are some more advanced reading lessons. I usually go onto theseexercises when children have mastered the phonic sounds for reading and areready for this next step.We are going to put together 4 different types of materials for yourchild to choose from to learn about …
Reading Command Cards
May 28, 2012
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
May 27, 2012
MONTESSORI PHONETICSIntroducing the phonetic sounds of the alphabet is one of the first steps in teaching spelling. Use either alphabet cards (sandpaper) or lower case letters. In Montessori classrooms, the sounds are first taught in lower case because most text writing is done this way. It makes the transition to …
How to Make Reading Cards
May 27, 2012
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
Life Cycle Reading Cards Preschool children are natural scientists who delight in observing how living things grow and change. There is something truly magical about watching a tiny tadpole transform into a frog or a caterpillar become a butterfly. These moments of metamorphosis captivate young learners and open the door …
Reading Ideas
January 13, 2010
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 …
Phonetic Word Lists
August 5, 2009
Phonetic Word Lists for Early Readers: Building Confidence One Sound at a Time There’s a moment in every young child’s literacy journey that feels nothing short of magical — the moment they realize that the sounds they’ve been practicing can actually come together to form real words. In Montessori education, …
How to Use the Word List
August 5, 2009
How to Use the Word List Welcome to your guide for making the most of Montessori word lists! Whether you've just received our newsletter word list or you're working with one of the many phonetic word lists used in Montessori classrooms, this page will help you understand how to turn …
Free Montessori Sandpaper Letters Printout
July 7, 2007
What Are Sandpaper Letters? Sandpaper letters are one of the most elegant materials in the Montessori classroom. Each letter of the alphabet is cut from fine sandpaper and mounted on a smooth board — consonants on pink or red boards and vowels on blue boards. The contrast between the rough …
My child doesn't want to use sandpaper letters
June 30, 2007
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 …
Grammar Exercises
June 30, 2007
Grammar is the role of words in the context of language. English grammar is one of the most complicated of any language. Children absorb grammar from conversations with parents and other adults, but here are some exercises to help reinforce the structures of grammar. The best way for children to …
Exercises for the Moveable Alphabet
June 30, 2007
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. …
Why Can't My Child Read?
June 30, 2007
Your child may have one or more of these problems that prevent her or him from reading. Does your child have a strong grasp of the alphabet and its phonetic sounds? Does he or she know the exceptions to the rule of pure phonics, such as silent "e"? Sight-reading, memorizing …