How Montessori Teaches Letters!

Wanting to teach your child their letters the Montessori way?

I am a 3rd Generation Montessori guide and I am going to go step by step exactly how we would do this in the Montessori classroom.

First, you want to make sure your child is ready to learn letters! If you are not sure check out my FREE Reading Readiness Guide where I teach you exactly what signs to look for to know if your child is developmentally ready. 

Once your child is ready you need to get the proper materials! In Montessori we use sandpaper letters instead of letter flashcards. The sandpaper letters are unique because the letter is inlaid with sandpaper making it a tactile experience which enhances retention as well as teaches letter formation which is a pre-writing skill. To learn more about sandpaper letters check out my blog post "What are Sandpaper Letters" My favorite set is from amazon Click Here

1: Letter sound before letter names

In the Classroom we start letters fairly young around 3+ years old depending on individual readiness. Because of this we teach each aspect of the letter separately to keep the information simple. Instead of teaching the child uppercase and lowercase and the name and sound all together we teach them separate and by which information is most helpful in reading. When a child learns to read they will be relying on their letter sound knowledge. Knowing the letter names is not helpful until later in reading when they learn long vowel sounds. This is why we teach sounds first and teach names later. 

2: Lowercase before uppercase

Again to keep it simple for the child we teach just lowercase first because at least 90% of letters they will see in a book or word will be lowercase. Later when the child has learned to read simple words, we will teach uppercase letters. 

3: Cursive before print

Maria Montessori believed that children would be able to learn cursive better than print because of the nature of the cursive letters. Cursive is very fluid and continuous much like a child drawing ability at this age. It also helps the brain to be continuous and less disconnected. Although in recent years some Montessori schools have switched to teaching print first because of the lack of cursive use in modern writing. 

**Of course there are exceptions to all of these. If an older child comes into the classroom and already has knowledge of letter names or uppercase then it may be appropriate to teach letter names and sounds together and uppercase and lowercase together. 

As your child's teacher you can decide what you think your child is ready for. If you are not sure, then I highly recommend sticking to the Montessori way.

Let's dive into a Letter lesson!!

In Montessori we use the sandpaper letters and teach the child using a 3 period lesson. 

To start pick 3 letters. There is no specific order. I like to start with s, t, a or letters of the child's name. 

1st period introduction: One by one introduce the letter to the child by saying, 

"This letters makes the sound ____"

"Some words that start with the sound ____ are ______"

"Here is how to trace the letter (proceed to trace sandpaper letter with your fingers and allow your child to try!)"

repeat this with all 3 letters

2 period identification: Play a quick game to help your child remember the letters by giving simple commands like:

"Touch the letter that says ____"

"Hand me the letter that says ___"

"Put the letter that says ___ on your head"

Do 7-10 commands or until your child is getting the hang of it. 

3 Period recognition: Test your child's ability to recall the letter by asking:

"What sound does this letter make? (while pointing to a letters)" 

Repeat this for all 3 letters.

at this point you may try 3 new letters or be done. 

If you want to see a video demonstration of a letter 3 period lesson, Check out my FREE Montessori Reading Masterclass where I teach step-bystep how to teach your child to read at home in less than 10 minutes a day!

Learn more about The Montessori Reading Academy and get a limited time 25% off discount!! Click Here