We added activities for a variety of levels to our free do-a-dot this month. While younger kids can simply fill in the dots and focus on /b/ for brain, you’ll find ideas for movable alphabet work as well as parts of the brain work for older kids. As usual, the brain do-a-dot printable is super easy to download and prepare.
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Chrissy Chitwood (a former Montessori child), and I are partnering to bring you a series of Montessori-inspired printables. The printables are typically themed and use a number of Montessori principles (although you don’t need to be a Montessori teacher or homeschooler to use them):
- They use isolation of quality.
- They use photographs or realistic images to emphasize reality. Whenever I can, I’ll tell you the specific name of the object or animal featured on the credits page. For this printable, the names of the parts of the brain are already on the do-a-dot page.
- They typically use traditional Montessori colors such as red for consonants and blue for vowels.
- They use lowercase letters, which are what we introduce letter sounds with in Montessori education. (Children tend to pick up the uppercase letters without being introduced if they’re introduced to the lowercase letter sounds.)
- They often feature themed printable versions of Montessori materials.
Free Brain Do-a-Dot Printable for the Letter B
To download the brain do-a-dot printable, click here and then click on the file image in the upper right corner of the PDF to save to your computer (just choose where you want it saved).
Montessori-Inspired Activities Using the Brain Do-a-Dot Printable for the Letter B (and the ai Phonogram)
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Tray with Brain Do-a-Dot Work and Parts of the Brain Work Plus Phonics Activities
Tray with Brain Do-a-Dot Work and Parts of the Brain Work Plus Phonics Activities
Note: This is just one example of how you can use the do-a-dot printables. There are many ways to use our do-a-dot printables. Scroll down to see examples from previous posts. Just choose an activity that’s appropriate for your child’s age and skill level.
I used a Multicraft tray and Do-a-Dot markers along with the free printable parts of the brain puzzle and DIY control chart from my earlier post.
You can add a tracing activity to the printable. If you laminate your printable, you can use an erasable crayon like the Melissa & Doug Learning Mat Crayons or Crayola Erasable Crayons. If your page isn’t laminated, you could add a pencil or colored pencil. I often do that. For a 2-year-old or other young preschooler who’s not ready to write letters, you can just leave off the crayon or pencil.
Brain Movable Alphabet Word Building, Handwriting Practice, Parts of the Brain Work, and Do-a-Dot Work
Coloring Parts of the Brain on the Brain Do-a-Dot Printable
This do-a-dot printable can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the age and ability of the child. A younger child could just use do-a-dot markers on the do-a-dot page (or use another type of do-a-dot activity) and focus on the /b/ sound, while an older child could trace the letters, study the phonogram “ai”, and build the word with the Montessori movable alphabet.
For a child who’s ready for (or already using) the movable alphabet, you could have the child build the word first. My 4½-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, likes to use the movable alphabet to build the word and analyze it with me. (We use the small movable alphabet. I have the movable alphabet from Alison’s Montessori, which I love. You can also get a movable alphabet from Amazon or make your own.)
Before building the word “brain,” we reviewed the phonogram “ai,” and Zoey traced the word with red and blue colored pencils. After that, Zoey used the movable alphabet to build the world “brain.”
Next, Zoey colored the parts of the brain. As a review and for consistency, we used the parts of the brain puzzle I made in the beginning of the unit as a control chart and model for coloring the parts of the brain.
Finishing Brain Do-a-Dot Page, Which Included Movable Alphabet and Parts of the Brain Work
After that, Zoey used the do-a-dot markers to fill in the dots. Even though toddlers enjoy using do-a-dot markers, older kids do, too! Zoey has fun deciding which color to make each dot. I love the way she puts the lid back on each marker and places it back in place before choosing another marker. It’s so much fun to see the order she developed with her previous Montessori work!
If you want to know how to introduce the letter sound for b, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.
Note: In case you’re wondering, Zoey’s dress is from Gymboree.
More Anatomy Activities and Resources
Brain Hemisphere Hat and Activities to Learn about Parts of the Brain
Free Brain Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Free Brain and Growth Mindset Printables and Montessori-Inspired Brain Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Heart and Circulatory System Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
- “All About Me” Free Printables and Activities for Back to School
- Handwashing Activities for Kids – Free Songs and Lessons
- Free Skeleton Printables and Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
- Hands-on Fun with Montessori-Inspired Human Skeleton Activities
- Human Body Unit Study Pinterest Board
Free Growth Mindset Printables for Kids and Adults
The Ultimate List of Free Growth Mindset Printables for Kids and Adults
At Bits of Positivity, I have lots and lots of free growth mindset printables for kids and adults.
More Growth Mindset Resources at Bits of Positivity
In addition to a long list of inspiring growth mindset quotes, you’ll find a number of word-art freebies (which I add to whenever I publish another one) in my best growth mindset quotes for kids and adults.
You’ll find lots of inspiring- and character-building songs in my free growth mindset songs for kids post.
Both kids and adults can gain a lot of growth mindset inspiration from famous failures.
You’ll find lots of great growth mindset books in my post with the the best growth mindset books for kids.
MONTESSORI-INSPIRED PACKS – SUBSCRIBER FREEBIES
Don’t miss our themed monthly packs! You’ll get the link and password for the Living Montessori Now subscriber library with the current pack and all the past monthly packs if you subscribe to the Living Montessori Now weekly newsletter!
Free Do-a-Dot Printables and Ideas for Using Them
I love the versatility of do-a-dot printables! If you’re doing a month-long theme, you could easily change out the type of do-a-dot activity weekly to add interest. Here are four ideas of hands-on activities for any of our do-a-dot printables from my frog do-a-dot printable post (see post for details and materials used).
Just click on an image to go to the post with the related free printable!
Note: I’ve arranged the following gallery in alphabetical order, although some posts have two do-a-dot printables (and two different letters). Also, I don’t introduce letters in alphabetical order. You can find out the order in which I introduce letter sounds here. I deviate from that order for our unit studies, though, and focus on a letter that’s simply related to our unit. That’s in addition to our other letter work.
You can see all our free do-a-dot printables with the latest at the top here.
For complete themed alphabet do-a-dot packs, see our Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, Spanish Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, and Healthy Food Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack available for purchase in the Living Montessori Now shop.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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