Montessori Movable Alphabet: What is it and How to use it to Teach Your Child to Read!

Have you heard that Montessori teaches writing before reading?

This is true but commonly gets misinterpreted. People often assume that in Montessori we are teaching children to write words and letters with pencils, but that isn't the case as children's hands are not fully developed until 7 years old so there is very little actual writing with pencils in the preschool class.

Instead of using a pencil to write, Maria Montessori created the movable alphabet to allow children to build words. 

The Montessori movable alphabet is a learning tool used in Montessori education to teach children how to form words and sentences before they are able to write with a pencil or pen. It is an important pre-reading lesson that teaches phonemic awareness. It consists of individual wooden or plastic letters that can be moved around on a surface, such as a tabletop or a felt board, to create words and sentences. The vowels and consonants are different letters and usually match the colors of the sandpaper letters. This hands-on approach helps children develop their literacy skills, phonetic awareness, and spelling abilities in a tactile and interactive way.

The movable alphabet is taught when the child has mastered the Montessori I-spy sound game and knows their letter sound recognition. This lesson is also taught before any reading is taught.

There are 10 lessons:

1. Fill in the blank beginning sound

2. Fill in the blank end sound

3. Fill in the blank middle sound

4. Build CVC words with "a" vowel

5. Build CVC words with "e" vowel

6. Build CVC words with "i" vowel

7. Build CVC words with "o" vowel

8. Build CVC words with "u" vowel

9. Build CVC words at random

10. Build any phonetic word

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use the Montessori movable alphabet:

1. Introduce the Movable Alphabet: Review the letters they know with the movable alphabet. You could even play a bring me game to practice finding each letter. 

2. Model the lesson: Model how to use the movable alphabet to fill in the blank or build words. 

3. Allow child to try: Turn the lesson over to the child to practice. 

4. Set up an Independent Work: Create picture cards to represent words so the child can use the movable alphabet independently. 

Once the child has mastered the Movable Alphabet then they are ready to start reading simple words!

To see me do a video demonstration on how to teach the movable alphabet check out my FREE Montessori Reading Masterclass

Watch the Masterclass now: Click Here