A gratitude unit is perfect for autumn … although I’ve designed the printables to be perfect for any time of year. Today’s free gratitude do-a-dot printable can be used for reinforcing the beginning sound with letter identification or simply for vocabulary and hearing beginning sounds. As usual, the do-a-dot printable is an instant download and super-easy to prepare!
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Christina (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. This month’s do-a-dot printable has photographs of a girl and a boy who are grateful (showing gratitude).
- 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 Gratitude Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable
To download the gratitude do-a-dot phonics printables, 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 Gratitude Do-a-Dot Printable
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Tray with G for Grateful Do-a-Dot Printable and Heart Transfer
Tray with G for Grateful Do-a-Dot Printable and Heart Transfer
Note: This is just one example of how you can use the do-a-dot printable. 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, red acrylic hearts (you need 32 to fill in the dots) from our heart work last winter, and quick sticks.
I also included the letter “g” grateful cursive font card (part of our Montessori-inspired gratitude pack – subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my free email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber). I like to use it to introduce the cursive letter “g.” I don’t use the extra font card with young toddlers, but it’s great for preschoolers on up.
You could 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.
Again, 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, stickers, or some sort of transfer on the do-a-dot page and focus on the /g/ sound, while an older child could trace the letters, and build the word “grateful” or “gratitude” with the Montessori movable alphabet.
Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Vocabulary and Transfer Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
First Attempt Using Quick Sticks to Transfer Acrylic Hearts to G for Grateful Do-a-Dot Page
For toddlers, I use the do-a-dot printables for vocabulary, hearing the beginning sound of a word, and fine-motor skills. Gratitude is an abstract concept, which makes the vocabulary more difficult for toddlers to understand. So I say something like, “Being grateful is being thankful. We say, ‘Thank you.'”
After the vocabulary focus, you could casually say that grateful starts with /g/ (the sound, not the letter name). This is just to introduce hearing the phonetic sound. I don’t focus on the letter “g,” although I use the printable that we already have available. We often focus on the child hearing the beginning sound by saying something like, “Grateful, /g/, grateful.”
After a short vocabulary and phonics lesson, we do an activity for fine-motor development. The photo above shows my toddler granddaughter, Sophia, at 22 months, with her first attempt at using quick sticks. It’s fine for toddlers and preschoolers to just transfer the hearts with their fingers, but Sophia was interested in using the quick sticks.
Putting Acrylic Hearts Back in the Basket from G for Grateful Do-a-Dot Work
I love seeing the way young children focus on the process! Instead of filling all the dots, Sophia filled a few dots, put those hearts back in the basket, and then filled some more.
Do-a-Dot Transfer – Continuing to Add and Take Away Acrylic Hearts from G for Grateful Do-a-Dot Page
Here, Sophia is continuing her work (with fewer hearts on the page than before!) and gaining more skill with the quick sticks. She was very determined and patient with learning to use the quick sticks. It was so much fun to watch!
More Gratitude Resources
- Free Gratitude Printables and Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities
- Free Gratitude Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable
- Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities
- How to Help Your Kids Have an Attitude of Gratitude
- How to Help Your Kids Have an Attitude of Gratitude, Part 2 (November Gratitude Activities)
- November Gratitude Inspiration and Activities
- 20+ Family Gratitude Activities
- Free Gratitude Songs and Rhymes for Home or School
- 30+ Free Thanksgiving Gratitude Printables for Kids
- 20+ Free Year-Round Gratitude Printables for Kids
- Free Guided Gratitude Meditations for Kids {Mindfulness Resources}
- Free Guided Gratitude Meditations {Mindfulness Resources for Teens and Adults}
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.
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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