- Playdough mat. (Photo by 1+1+1=1)
When you’re introducing phonetic sounds, there are many activities you can use to supplement Montessori language activities. As long as you emphasize the phonetic sound for each letter, you can find numerous compatible resources that will interest and not confuse your child.
Tips for Using Montessori-Compatible Language Activities
Use hands-on materials and activities rather than worksheets whenever possible. Emphasize lower-case letters more than upper-case letters. For information on teaching letter sounds, follow the links in my post on early letter-sound activities.
Some homeschoolers like to do a letter of the week, while others introduce letters more irregularly but as their child is interested. I tended to introduce letters according to my children’s interest, rather than following a regular schedule for introducing letters. Just find what works best for you and your child.
Montessori-Compatible Language Resources
Following is a list of some of the Montessori-compatible resources you’ll find online with regular (some are weekly) letter-sound activities:
1+1+1=1 has a Raising Rock Stars Preschool program which uses activities like the playdough mat in the photo.
Homeschool Creations has the original playdough mat along with many other activities for beginning letter activities. Click on the “Need some inspiration?” links for numerous ideas.
Totally Tots has “weekly abc ideas for tots.”
Brightly Beaming Resources has letter of the week and sound of the week activities and songs.
Starfall has lots of great online phonics activities. For a preschooler, you might want to limit computer time to about 15 minutes a day.
Pocketful of Posies has lots of letter activities.
Stay & Play has lots of letter activities.
No Time for Flash Cards has “letter of the week” activities.
Mrs. Jones has activities and songs for learning the letter sounds.
Montessori Mom has activities for learning the alphabet while cooking.
Counting Coconuts has alphabet crafts and activities.
Do you have a favorite way to introduce letter sounds?
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I'm Deb Chitwood. My header photo models are my children, Christina, at 1 1/2, my son, Will, at 3, and Christina again at 16. Christina is now 20, and Will is 25. Please see the 
Thanks for these great ideas and links! As a new mama to homeschooling I can’t get enough ideas!
Stopping by to say “Hi” from the Hip Homeschool Hop! Have a great day!
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Thanks for your comment, Amy! I hope you’re able to use some of the ideas. I appreciate your stopping by – and I hope you have a great day, too!
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Thanks for joining in The Hip Homeschool Hop today! LOVE your blog!
Meghan
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Thanks, Meghan! And thanks for your continued great work with Hip Homeschool Moms!
Deb Chitwood recently posted..Montessori-Compatible Language Activities
Thanks so much for the mentions, I love your site and wisdom!
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Thanks SO much, Carisa! I love what you’re doing at your site as well. And thanks again for the permission to use your wonderful photo!
We use play dough when ever we are working with letters formation and sounds. The kids all get involved. They love making things that start with that letter. Thanks for the great resources!
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Thanks so much for your kind comment, Myrtle! It’s a great idea to make things with play dough that start with the letter being introduced!
Deb Chitwood recently posted..Montessori-Compatible Language Activities
Oh, Deb! We are always connected. I just introduced the first 3 consonants to my 3yo and just yesterday we did our very first mini-booklet about the mmmmmmm. He even cut, glued and colored… things he’d not choose to do before. I’m so excited. Thanks for posting! I’ll keep reading further more but in case I don’t find the answer, when do you introduce the capital letters??? I have no idea how to do this. Plus I haven’t even started making them at home, yikes!
Lots of hugs and many blessings,
Evelyn
http://2pequenostraviesos.blogspot.com
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We are always connected, aren’t we, Evelyn! Great to visit with you again! I’m happy your 3-year-old is enjoying his letter activities!
Actually, I’ve never had to worry about capital letters. I didn’t work in a Montessori school that even used capital sandpaper letters. With alphabet books, etc., children usually seem to spontaneously pick them up after they’ve learned the lower-case letters/sounds.
If you do want to systematically introduce writing capital letters, you could just trace them in a sand or salt tray. Or you could use an activity like this one from Info Montessori: http://www.infomontessori.com/language/handwriting-punctuation-upper-and-lower-case-letters.htm. There’s a lovely free download from Montessori for Learning that you can use to match upper- and lower-case letters: http://montessoriforlearning.com/Pre-ReadingFiles/UpperCaseLowerCaseMatchPictureCardSet1.pdf. To make it easy on yourself, you could use these letters for the last two activities!
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I should be packing, but I just couldn’t stay away from your blog.
I wanted to pop in to say thanks, Deb, for linking back to Counting Coconuts in this post. What a great list of resources you have listed here – we love Starfall.com, which is saying a lot as I’m a bit anti-tv/computer when it comes to my 3 years old. 
Ok, back to packing!
Warmly,
Mari-Ann
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Thanks, Mari-Ann! I’m so glad you stopped by! I’m always happy to link to you and your WONDERFUL activities! I’m really impressed with Starfall for online activities. I generally prefer hands-on activities during preschool as well, but Starfall is a nice exception. Good luck with your packing!
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Hurray! Thank goodness I won’t need to be making our homemade sandpaper Capital letters.
You’re such a great resource for us homeschooling Montessori moms. Thanks for the links. I’ll be making something similiar for Spanish language. But I don’t use the computer to save time and printer ink. I use markers, pictures from old books and index cards. They are working fantastic for me so far. (It could get a little hectic here trying to homeschool 2 boys: one in Children’s House and the other in 6-9 Elementary.)
Big hugs from PR,
Evelyn
Twitter: DebChitwood
It’s great that you’ve found a system that works well for you, Evelyn! It is more challenging homeschooling at two different levels, isn’t it?! My children are 5 years apart, so the levels were quite different. The nice thing about both unit studies and Montessori is that they can work well for more than one level. But it can get hectic!
HI, I just found your wonderful blog! I love all these ideas…I would like to add that we really enjoy writing letters in the sand at the beach. We also build letter with blocks, paint in a bag, and wikki stix. Thanks again for your lovely posts.
Karen
Sippy Cup Central Mom
http://sippycupcentralmom.blogspot.com
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Thanks so much for your comment, Karen! Those are great ideas – I appreciate your sharing them! I LOVE the idea of writing letters in the sand at the beach!
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