3 Montessori Pre-Reading Games

If you are wanting to prepare your child for school or reading then you may want to consider trying some fun pre-reading games at home. These games are no-prep and so easy to spontaneously play. I even like to play these games on long car rides or out in public while waiting in lines. 

So here are my top 3 Easy, no-prep Montessori pre-reading games. 

The I-spy sound game is a classic Montessori game used before reading to teach phonemic awareness. This is a very crucial concept for a child to understand before learning to read. It is pretty simple. 

-First gather 7-10 objects from around your house. It can literally be anything but make sure each object has a different beginning sound. When I am out of the house I use things in my purse or for an older child who is more advanced you can use things in the environment like classic I-spy game. 

-Then place 3 of the objects in front of your child and tell the child what the name of each object is. Really emphasize the beginning sound of the word.  

-Say, "I-spy something on the table that starts with the sound____" then say the sound that the word starts with. 

-Give the child the chance to choose which object matches. It might take some time for the child to beginning hearing the beginning sounds. 

-Switch the chosen object out for another object and try again until the child has lost interest. 

Once your child gets better at the game you can try having the child be the teacher and Spy a word. You can also make it more advanced by asking for the ending sound. 

To get a FREE printable for this game including printable objects and instructions Click Here

In the Montessori classroom we have a heavy emphasis on developing spoken language because we understand that reading and writing can only be as good as the child's spoken language and comprehension. 

The Bring me game helps to develop the child's vocabulary. It is very easy, here is how you play:

-Simply ask your child to bring you something in the environment that matches a specific description. For example "Bring something red." "Bring me something soft" for a younger child you can ask for the name of the object to see if they know that word. 

You can play around with various nouns or adjectives such as:

-Colors, 

-Shapes

-Texture

-rhymes

-Begins with a specific letter sound

Really anything you can think of. 

Learning syllables can be a tricky concept because there it is not a tangible concept. To make syllables more tangible you can clap syllables with your child. 

To do this I basically play a game of copy cat. I say a word and clap the syllables while saying it then I ask the child to repeat. 

If we are somewhere public where clapping would be too loud then my daughter and and I hold hands and we squeeze each others hand on the syllable which she thinks is really fun. 

 To get my FREE Syllable printable that includes two syllable printable activities with instructions Click Here

To learn more pre-reading activities to do with your child checkout my FREE Reading Readiness Guide I teach how to know when your child is ready to learn letters and how to prepare your child to read!

Download the FREE Guide HERE