LANGUAGE

SANDPAPER LETTERS

The Sandpaper Letters activity in Montessori helps young children learn letter shapes
and sounds through touch. Each letter is made of sandpaper, allowing children to trace
it with their fingers while associating the tactile experience with its visual form and
phonetic sound. This hands-on activity supports letter recognition, fine motor skills, and
early literacy, promoting independent learning and confidence.

SAND WRITING ACTIVITY

The sand writing activity in Montessori education combines sensory exploration with
writing practice, offering children a tactile and engaging way to learn letter formation. In
this activity, a tray or shallow box is filled with sand, and children use their fingers to
trace letters, numbers, or shapes in the [Link] hands-on method helps children
develop fine motor skills, improve hand-eye coordination, and reinforce letter formation.
The tactile experience of feeling the sand enhances sensory development and muscle
memory, while fostering focus, patience, and creativity in the process.

I SPY GAME

The "I Spy" game in a Montessori setting is an engaging and educational activity that
encourages children to develop their observation, language, and critical thinking skills.
In this activity, the teacher or facilitator provides descriptive clues about an object in the
environment, such as "I spy with my little eye something that is red," and the children
must identify the object based on the given description. This game helps expand the
child's vocabulary as they are encouraged to use precise language and adjectives to
describe objects, such as color, shape, or size. The game can take place indoors with
Montessori materials or outdoors with natural elements, allowing for sensory
exploration. By taking turns being the "spyer," children gain leadership skills, boost their
confidence, and learn to think independently. This activity helps develop cognitive and
social skills in a fun, engaging way.

LMA (LARGE MOVABLE ALPHABET)

The Large Movable Alphabet (LMA) activity in Montessori is a hands-on learning tool
designed to help children develop their language skills, particularly in reading and
writing. It involves large, movable letters that children can manipulate to form words and
sentences, promoting phonetic awareness and fine motor development. Through this
activity, children can explore the relationship between sounds and letters, experiment
with spelling, and engage creatively with language. By physically arranging the letters,
children reinforce their understanding of letter-sound associations, allowing them to
learn at their own pace

PINK OBJECT BOX

The Pink Object Box is a Montessori material designed to help children explore and
develop their sense of touch, size, and shape. It consists of a set of pink-colored objects
that vary in size and shape, each designed to be handled by the child to help refine their
tactile and sensory awareness. This activity helps with the development of fine motor
skills and also supports learning about the concept of gradation in size, from small to
large.

PINK BOOKLET

The Pink Booklet in Montessori education is designed to help young children, typically
aged 3 to 6, develop early literacy skills. It focuses on phonetic reading and writing
using simple three-letter words (CVC words). Activities include tracing letters, sounding
out words, and matching pictures to words, which help children connect letters with
sounds and build phonemic awareness. The booklet promotes independent learning
and supports the development of foundational reading and writing skills through
hands-on, interactive exercises.

BLUE WORD LIST

Blue word activity focuses on helping children progress from simple three-letter phonetic
words to more complex words that include consonant blends such as "flag," "step," or
"brush." The Blue Series encourages children to recognize and decode these blends,
thereby strengthening their reading fluency and phonetic awareness. Using blue-colored
word cards, often accompanied by matching pictures or the moveable alphabet, children
engage in hands-on, self-paced learning. This multisensory approach not only builds
vocabulary and reading confidence but also nurtures independence and a love for
reading through active exploration and discovery.

BLUE SENTENCE CARDS

The Blue Sentence Cards in Montessori are part of the Blue Series, designed to
strengthen reading fluency and comprehension. Each card contains a phonetic
sentence, such as consonant blends (e.g., "bl", "st") and digraphs (e.g., "ch", "sh").
Children read the sentence and match it to a corresponding picture or [Link]
exercise helps improve reading fluency, expand vocabulary, and develop sentence
structure awareness. It also fosters independence and confidence as children begin to
read more fluently and comprehend complete thoughts in written form.
ADJECTIVE

In the Montessori method, adjectives are introduced through hands-on, sensorial

experiences and concrete materials that help children understand their function in
language. An adjective is described as a word that tells us more about a noun—it adds
detail, such as color, size, shape, or number. Montessori classrooms often use objects
and picture cards alongside labels, allowing children to match nouns with descriptive
words (e.g., “red apple,” “small ball”). The adjective is symbolized by a medium-sized
blue triangle, placed near the noun's large black triangle, reinforcing its close
relationship to the noun. This visual and tactile approach helps children grasp that
adjectives describe or qualify nouns, laying a strong foundation for grammar awareness
in a natural and engaging way.

VERB

In the Montessori method, verbs are taught through hands-on experiences and visual
aids. The verb is symbolized by a red circle, representing action and energy. Children
engage in activities where they act out verbs like jumping or running, helping them
understand verbs as words that describe actions or states. This approach allows
children to connect language with movement, making learning both interactive and
meaningful.

SMALL MOVABLE ALPHABET

The Small Movable Alphabet (SMA) in Montessori education is a tactile tool that helps
children develop literacy skills by allowing them to physically manipulate color-coded
letters to form words. It enhances phonics, letter-sound recognition, and spelling,
promoting independent learning and cognitive development. The SMA is essential for
building foundational language skills, fostering both reading and writing abilities in
young children.

PHONOGRAM SANDPAPER LETTERS

phonogram sandpaper letters, they focus on letter combinations that represent specific
sounds, such as "sh," "ch," or "th." Children use their sense of touch to trace these
phonograms, which helps them connect letter groupings to sounds. This method
encourages multisensory learning by simultaneously engaging the sense of touch,
hearing, and sight. The tactile tracing also aids in the development of fine motor skills,
crucial for handwriting. By learning phonograms in this way, children gain a deeper
understanding of language, moving from individual letters to more complex sound
combinations, all while building independence and confidence in their learning process.
METAL INSETS

Material name: METAL INSETS

Alternative name: Geometric Insets
Target age group: 3 or 3.5+ years
Brief intro: Metal insets are usually found in the language area of a Montessori
classroom. There are ten geometric metal insets that live on two wooden shelves, there
are five insets on each shelf. Each of the insets are blue in colour with pink frames. The
frames are all the same size and each inset has a knob in the center of [Link] ten
shapes are Circle, Oval, Ellipse, Curvilinear triangle, Pentagon, Rectangle, Triangle,
Trapezium, Square, and Quatrefoil.
Components:
Color pencils
White paper
Metal insets
Aims
Direct aim
Indirect aim
POI
COE
Vocabulary
How to introduce to students
Step1 - Invite the child for a lesson on the metal insets, show them how to
carry the Material, return it to the shelf, and have them take it to the table.
[Link] beside the child at their level to model the behavior
[Link] take the frame of the metal inset and trace it with the pencil
[Link] the frame back and now take the inset
5. Hold the inset with left hand and draw a circle around it using right hand
6. Once done, Place the inset back
[Link] take the pencil and create patterns, lines, or fill in the shape using
different colors.​
[Link] the child to have a turn and Allow the child to explore the
activity with minimal interruption.

Extension/Variation:

Trace multiple insets together to form complex patterns, mandalas, or symmetrical art.

●​ Trace one half of a shape and ask the child to complete the symmetrical half.
 ●​ Have the child create a drawing using insets, then tell or write a story about it.​

Once traced, allow the child to cut out the shape to further develop hand strength and
coordination.

BLUE BOOKLET

Material name: BLUE BOOKLET

Alternative name: Phonic Booklet
Target age group: 3 or 3.5+ years
Brief intro: The Blue Booklet is part of the Blue Series, which is the second stage in the
Montessori reading program. It builds on the Pink Series (which focuses on simple
consonant-vowel-consonant or CVC words) and introduces more complex phonetic
words—especially those with consonant blends and longer phonetic patterns.
Components:
Mat
Tray
Booklet with sound a
Aims
Direct aim: to teach children how to read simple four-letter words
independently
Indirect aim:
POI:turning the pages of the book carefully without damage and reading.
COE:
Vocabulary: Words used in the booklet
How to introduce to students
Step1 -Carry the materials from the shelf
2. Sit beside the child at their level to model the behavior
3. Use right hand 2 fingers to flip the pages of the book from top right corner
4. Support left side of the book with left hand 2 fingers
5. read the words by phonetically sounding out the letters
6. Invite the child to read it.

Extension/Variation:

Provide simple reading cards or booklets with short passages using Blue Series words
followed by comprehension questions.
PHONOGRAM BOX

Material name: PHONOGRAM BOX

Alternative name: Phonogram Cabinet
Target age group: 3 or 3.5+ years
Brief intro: A phonogram box is a box in the Language area of a Montessori classroom.
There are six phonogram picture cards and six phonogram matching word cards inside
the box. The picture and word cards are printed on green cardboard. The phonogram,
e.g. ‘ee’ is highlighted in red on the lid of the box as well as on each word card.
Components:
Mat
Tray
Booklet with sound a
Aims
Direct aim: to teach children how to read simple four-letter words
independently
Indirect aim:
POI:turning the pages of the book carefully without damage and reading.
COE:
Vocabulary: Words used in the booklet
How to introduce to students

The directress begins by introducing the phonogram box to the child, for example, ‘ee’.

She reminds the child that are two e’s together we make the sound ‘ee’ she asks the

child to repeat the sound ‘ee’.

She then lays out the pictures from left to right on the top of the mat and discusses each

one. She then brings one word card forward and asks the child to sound out, blend, and

read the word, either the directress or the child uses their finger as a guide. The

directress assists the child if necessary.

The child is encouraged to place the word card below the corresponding picture on the

mat, and continue in the same manner with the remaining word cards. The directress

congratulates him once has matched all the word cards to the pictures correctly and

helps him pack away.

The directress begins with easier phonograms, for example, th, ch, ee, sh, and then

moves onto more difficult ones. The child is encouraged to work through the rest of the

phonogram boxes independently, but he should ask the directress what the sound is

beforehand.

Extension/Variation:

Invite the child to create a short story using 3–5 phonogram words.

Find words in books or around the classroom that contain a target phonogram.

Provide simple readers that emphasize specific phonograms.