The Montessori Pink Level focuses on short vowel word reading, building, and writing. There are two main things I really believe in 1) presenting REAL images to children as noted in a recent post and 2) presenting concrete objects, especially for the younger children.
I love Safari Toobs and Japanese erasers. Montessori Services also has outstanding object packages for early childhood language learning. So, I really enjoy this lesson for the home or the classroom.
Materials for Short Vowel Word Activity
- Short a word objects
- Labels (use Century Gothic font if you're creating your own. Otherwise, Montessori Print Shop has loads of great downloads.)
- A basket or container for the objects and word labels
- A work rug or table
Montessori Short Vowel Lesson – Begin with Short A Words
- Invite the child to do the work. Go to the shelf with the child. Bring the container with the short /a/ IMAGES and word labels to the work rug. Begin with short a words.
- Remove the objects, one at a time, from the container, naming each object as you place the objects in a vertical column. Have the child name each object.
- Select a word label. Make the first sound of the word, then the second and final sounds. Blend the sounds together to make the word. Scan the objects with the word label & place the word label next to the appropriate object.
Continue with this approach, isolating each sound in the word.
- When the child has matched all the word labels to the objects, remove the objects and have the child read each word out loud.
- Return materials to the container. Return to shelf.
Short Vowel Lesson Extensions & Variations
- Record words on paper
- Build 3 letter words from objects
- Find pictures from magazines to build words or to match word labels
I hope you found this post helpful! Thanks for reading!
Marnie