Children begin learning to read and write long before they pick up a book or a pencil. If a child is ready to start her language development journey, these Montessori pre-reading activities are a good starting point. There is nothing more beautiful to observe a child enter her period of
As the guide, create the environment and step back to watch the process unfold before your eyes. Below are five Montessori Pre-Reading Activities to start your journey. These Montessori language activities are a great way to warm the child’s logic, problem-solving, focus, and concentration skills.
Montessori Pre-Reading Lessons
Montessori Pre-Reading Does Not Belong
Children enjoy the Montessori Does Not Belong activity and it is easy to put together. You can make this activity as straightforward or complicated as you would like to by making the differences more or less subtle.
Making cards is easy to keep the child’s interest. I made a set of “Does Not Belong” cards using real images if you would like to take a look at them in my pre-reading activities bundle.
Montessori Pre-Reading Category Classification
This activity involves sorting images into categories. Like the “Does Not Belong” activity, you can make the Classification by Category lesson as easy or difficult as possible, adjusting for the child. This activity is also a fun way to integrate concrete material into the child’s learning with figurines.
I choose to use real images in my classification categories. Children relate better to real images and are more likely to respond to the activity, in my experience. A set of Montessori Classification Cards is available in my Pre-Reading Activities bundle.
Montessori Pre-Reading Nomenclature Cards
This pre-reading Montessori language activity involves simple nomenclature cards. The work can be done image-to-image with the label, or image with a label to image and then to label.
Children match the image and then the labels to the image.
They work from left to right, preparing the child for reading and writing.
These cards can be as creative as you need them to be. You can create cards specific to a child. For example, if a child likes sports, or insects, or the human body, you can create nomenclature cards specific for a unit or a child.
Montessori Pre-Reading Look-Alike Matching
This lesson works a child’s logic skills as he closely compares and contrasts the images to make a match. The child develops language with these types of activities, as he works from left to right, preparing him for reading and writing.
Here is a set of Look-Alike Matching cards using real images that I created for my teaching.
Montessori Pre-Reading Story Sequence
I adore Story Sequence cards. You can create these cards to apply to a simple act in daily life, like giving a hug. You can also use these cards to science with the life cycle, or even a story from a child’s favorite book.
Children put the cards in order, working their reading comprehension early on in their journey to reading.
Do you have any favorite Montessori pre-reading lessons to share?
Marnie