FREE Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)

Reduce, reuse, recycle is a concept for Earth Day every day. I hope you feel free to use this free reduce, reuse, recycle do-a-dot printable at any time of year. As usual, the free do-a-dot printable is an instant download, versatile, 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 uses symbols for reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• 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 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable

To download the reduce, reuse, recycle 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 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do-a-Dot Printable

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Letter R Do-a-Dot Tray with Rubber Stamp Work

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 recycle symbol rubber stamp, washable stamp pad, and Multicraft tray. (Note: I typically use a large Montessori Services tray for activities with water, paint, or ink.)

You could have a variety of transfer activities with the do-a-dot printable. Or you could have a totally different type of do-a-dot activity. See ideas below. Again, just choose what is best for your child’s skill level and interests.

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 toddler or young preschooler who’s not ready to write letters, you can just leave off the crayon or pencil.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Phonemic Awareness Activity and Do-a-Dot Work

For toddlers, I typically use the do-a-dot printables for vocabulary, hearing the beginning sound of a word, and fine-motor skills. Generally, with toddlers, I’ll just focus on the /r/ sound at the beginning of “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

For a phonics lesson with young toddlers, I might casually say that reduce, reuse, recycle start with /r/ (the sound, not the letter name). This is just to introduce hearing the phonetic sound. I don’t focus on the letter “r,” although I use the printable that we already have available. We often focus on the child hearing the beginning sound by saying something like, “Reduce, reuse, recycle /r/, reduce, reuse, recycle.”

My 2-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, has started work with sandpaper letters so we’re doing more focused work on the letter sounds now. We follow the order shown in this post along with adding the featured letter. I don’t worry about going out of order for the monthly theme.

I only use printables with toddlers that can be used for hands-on work, such as do-a-dot work, scissor cutting (cutting strips), or another type of printable that can be made into a manipulative. Printables when used with manipulatives are great for fine-motor development, work on important skills, and fit with the hands-on activities that are developmentally appropriate for toddlers.

An activity like using a rubber stamp is great for fine-motor skills and the development of concentration. I love Sophia’s focus on getting the recycle symbol in the dots!

If you want to know more about how to introduce the /r/ sound, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

As always, adapt your presentations for your unique child!

More Earth Day (Earth Day Every Day) Resources

• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Printables and Activities for a Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Unit
• Free Recycling Printables and Montessori-Inspired Recycling Activities
• Free 3-Part Recycle Cards
• Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Activities for Earth Day Every Day
• Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities (2012)
• Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities
• Free Earth Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities
• Free Recycling Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Conservation Songs for Home or School {Character Education Resources}
• Free Earth Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Tree Printables and Montessori-Inspired Tree Activities
• Free Endangered Animal Songs and Educational Videos {Save the Animals}
• Thank You for Planet Earth (or Thank You, Planet Earth) Mindfulness Cards and Booklet
• Kids’ Earth Day Every Day Pinterest Board

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). You’ll find at least one free do-a-dot printable for each letter of the alphabet!

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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