The document summarizes the Montessori method for teaching children to read before age 6 using a phonetic approach through three color-coded series - Pink, Blue, and Green. The Pink series focuses on 3-sound words, the Blue series introduces blends and digraphs in words with more sounds, and the Green series covers all phonetic sounds including long vowels, r-controlled vowels, and diphthongs. Through activities like sound blending, labeling, and spelling with alphabet letters, the series build phonetic skills to facilitate reading.

1. How your child can :
Learn to
Read & Write
Before the
Age of 6
Using the Montessori Method
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2. m o nt e sso rihe lpe r.co m
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How your Child can learn to read before the Age of 6 using the
Montessori method
Mo ntesso riHelper
The Pink, Blue, and Green Phonics Series
Read this f irst ! Why is the use of the phonetic alphabet important in
Montessori…
As the child moves throughout the language series, he f ollows an order of
learning and putting together phonetic sounds, to build his reading and writing
skills.
Consonant and Vowel Sounds
T he Montessori reading series is mostly f ocused on the phonetic aspect of language. T he child will spend
time learning the initial sounds. Next the f ocus is on identif ying middle sounds
of words (emphasizing short vowel sounds), and the ending sounds of words. He does a lot of matching
and sorting activities. Objects and pictures are matched by their sounds.
Blending Sounds
Once the child has mastered the twenty-six basic sounds of the alphabet, the directress will then start
blending sounds with the child. She may do this with sandpaper letters or the movable alphabet, and it is
done quite literally. T he directress will place the two letters at opposite sides of the workspace, then slowly
say their sounds. As she continues to repeat the sounds, she will move them closer together and say the
sounds f aster, until visually the sounds are next to each other and orally they are blended. A third and f inal
sound will then be added. Many times word f amilies are introduced.
T he child also can practice blending sounds with the movable alphabet. He will try to make up some of his
own words, sounding out words that he knows.
Pink Series
T he pink series f ocuses on words with three individual sounds. Most commonly they are consonant-vowelconsonant words, such as cat, rug, mat, etc. T he child practices reading these words by labeling objects or
pictures with cards. He practices spelling all of them with the movable alphabet. He also begins to learn
sight words and starts work in appropriate phonetic readers.
Blue Series

3. In the blue series, short vowels are continued, but there are of ten more than three individual phonemes in
the word. T he child has to sound out consonant blends, which are when the two consonants keep their
individual sounds. Initial consonant blends include bl, br, bl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sc, scr, sk, sp, spr, st, str,
tr. Final consonant blends include ct, ft, lt, mt, nt, pt, st, lm, ln, lp, mp. Consonant digraphs are also
introduced. T hese include ch, ph, sh, th, wh, kn. Words may be as short as raft and whip, or as long as infant
and pumpkin.
Activities in this series again include object and picture labeling and movable alphabet practice. He can also
use materials f or sentences instead of words. Appropriate readers are slightly more advanced than those
f or the pink series.
Green Series
In the green series, the rest of the phonetic sounds are introduced. Long vowels are introduce with the
“Silent E” f or example. Vowels change their sound as r-controlled vowels: ar, er , ir, or, ur. Digraphs and
diphthongs are also introduced as more phonograms (vowel/vowel and vowel/consonant combinations that
make a unique sound when together).
Digraphs are two vowels that next to each other make on individual sound, such as ai and ea. Diphthongs
are a pair of vowels that make two vowel sounds within the same syllable, such as oi, ou, oy. Again the child
practices sorting, labeling, reading word lists, spelling with the movable alphabet, and reading more
advanced books. As all of these phonograms are introduced, the potential length of the word is indef inite.
T he Pink, Blue, and Green series f acilitate the f low of the Montessori method in phonetic learning and in
conjunction with f oundation activities (like the sandpaper letters) are the basis of learning the structure of
language.
Note: As much as Montessori is a method, it is also a philosophy. We suggest you consider familiarizing
yourself with this by reading Montessori’s books. When it is understood how the lessons relate to each other in
this context one can achieve better outcomes

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