Puzzle Words (Sight Words)
Puzzle words are the common English words that don't follow their letter sounds, like "the" and "said". A child of about 4.5 who already reads short phonetic words learns them by sight, three at a time, from cards. Without them, even "the cat" can't be read.
Sourced from the texts, not yet presented at home
| Typical age | 4.5 to 7 years |
|---|---|
| Area | Language |
| Before this | |
| Materials | |
| Direct aim | To read at sight the common words that can't be sounded out. |
| Control of error | The adult, at first. Later, phrases built with the pink series objects check the reading: "the cat" must sit next to the cat. A puzzle word read wrong is simply read again by the adult, another day. |
| Leads to | |
| Time | About 5 minutes for three words (our estimate). |
| Grouping | One child at a table |
| Parent prep | Low. Choose three words and write or pick out their cards. |
| Cost | Buy about $26 to $26. Make: easy to make at home. |
| Other names | Sight words, Phonetically irregular words, Red words, Tricky words |
What the work teaches
Direct aim. To read at sight the common words that can't be sounded out.
Indirect aims, the ones you will not see at once
- Reading whole phrases and sentences
- Knowing that some English words must be remembered whole
- Preparation for the command cards and for books
- Confidence: a word that looked impossible becomes easy
Set it out before you invite the child
Cards with one word each, in clear lowercase print. A different card color for puzzle words tells the child not to sound them out.
A first set of three: the, I, to. Later sets: was, said, you, are, he, she, my, of, do, have, come, one.
A few phonetic word cards the child can already read, such as cat and hop, to build phrases.
The pink series objects or picture cards nearby, for phrases like "the cat".
The 1912 English edition of Montessori's book already warned that English spelling is far less phonetic than Italian, so whole words had to be learned by sight.
Presentation, step by step
- 1Sit beside the child and lay down the card for "the".
- 2Point to it and say: "This word is a puzzle. If we sound it out, it doesn't work. We just remember it."
- 3Read it once, clearly: "the".
- 4Do the same with "I" and "to".
- 5Give the three periods: "Show me 'to'." Then point and ask "What does this say?"
- 6Lay "the" in front of a phonetic word the child knows, such as "cat", and let the child read the phrase.
- 7Add three new puzzle words when the first three are read at a glance.
Details that hold the child's attention
A word like "said" that looks as if it should say something else.
Reading a whole phrase, "the red hen", for the first time.
Finding a puzzle word in a picture book.
A growing stack of cards the child can read.
How the child sees a mistake
The adult, at first. Later, phrases built with the pink series objects check the reading: "the cat" must sit next to the cat. A puzzle word read wrong is simply read again by the adult, another day.
The words come after the hands
| Words | Shown with |
|---|---|
| the, I, to | The first set. |
| was, said, you, are | The second set. |
| he, she, my, of, do | A third set, chosen from what the child meets in books. |
| puzzle word | The child's name for a word that can't be sounded out. |
The three-period lesson, scripted
You need the first three puzzle word cards.
| Period | What you do and say |
|---|---|
| 1. Naming | Point to each and read it: "This says 'the'." "This says 'I'." "This says 'to'." |
| 2. Recognition | "Give me 'I'." "Show me 'the'." Mix the cards and ask again. |
| 3. Recall | Point to one and ask "What does this say?" |
Our suggestion. Montessori used the three periods for names; it works the same way for whole words.
Extensions and variations
- Phrases with phonetic words: the cat, I hop, to the bed
- A puzzle word hunt in a picture book
- Folded puzzle-word slips drawn from a basket, read silently, then read aloud, as Montessori's children did with toy names
- Writing a puzzle word from memory with the moveable alphabet
- Command cards, which mix puzzle words with phonetic ones
Variations
- Words written on paper slips by hand instead of bought cards
- Puzzle words printed in a different color from the phonetic words
Make it or buy it
| Material | Make it | Buy, approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzle Word Cards | Easy | $26 to $26 |
Prices noted . Approximate US street prices for home-use versions; they vary by maker and change often, so recheck before buying.
Making it at home
Index cards and a marker are enough. Write in clear lowercase print, the same style as your moveable alphabet.
What to check when buying a set
Check that the print matches the letters the child already knows, and that the set doesn't mix in words that sound out easily.
Printables for this age
This work needs only the material, so it has no printable of its own. The shelf plan below places it among the other works for the same age.
- Shelf plan for age 4PDF, 1 page, 248 KBEvery work for this age on one page, in order, with a column to date each presentation.
Every printable for one age, by email
The shelf plan and the lesson printables for your child's age in one email, then three short emails on the first lesson, what to make or buy, and what comes next.
Signs the child is ready, and signs it is done
Ready for the first presentation
- Reads three-letter phonetic words from the pink series.
- Has tried to sound out a word like "the" and got stuck.
- Wants to read real books.
- Remembers names of things after a few hearings.
Ready for the next lesson
- Reads a set of about 20 puzzle words at a glance.
- Reads phrases that mix puzzle words and phonetic words.
- Spots puzzle words in books.
- Reads a short command card without help. That's the cue for command cards.
Fitting it into a home, not a classroom
| If you have | Do this |
|---|---|
| A tight budget | Write the words on index cards in clear print. A list from the child's own picture books is the best source. |
| A child taught sight words at preschool | Check which ones the child really reads, and start the cards from the gaps. |
| Siblings | An older child can show the younger one a card and give the three periods. |
| A child who guesses from the first letter | Put the two easily confused cards side by side, such as "was" and "saw", and read them slowly. |
When it does not go to plan
| When | Try this |
|---|---|
| The child tries to sound out every puzzle word. | Remind once: "This one's a puzzle." A different card color helps. |
| Words learned yesterday are gone today. | Fewer at a time. Two or three words, read in phrases often, stick better than ten. |
| Was and saw get swapped. | Teach them on different weeks. Bring them together only when each is sure. |
| Drill feels dull. | Hide the cards around the room, or use them in silly phrases the child can act out. |
Hazards to check before each session
No special safety concerns. Laminated cards have sharp corners; round them off with scissors.
Where other sequences and standards place it
We have not bought the paid homeschool curricula, so they are not listed here.
| Framework | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| This site's Language sequence | Lesson 9 of 12 published, after Pink Series: Object Box Reading, before Command Cards (Reading of Commands). Checked in: the scope and sequence |
| Montessori, The Montessori Method (1912) | Reading begins with names on folded cards, read silently and claimed by pronouncing the word clearly. The English edition's introduction notes that English needs whole words learned by sight. Checked in: Chapter XVII, Reading; Introduction |
| Common Core, Kindergarten reading foundations | RF.K.3.c: read common high-frequency words by sight (the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does). Checked in: corestandards.org |
| Common Core, grade 1 reading foundations | RF.1.3.g: recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. Checked in: corestandards.org |
Puzzle words: questions parents ask
What are puzzle words in Montessori?
Common English words that can't be sounded out from their letters, such as "said". The child learns them by sight, a few at a time, so that phrases and sentences can be read.
When do puzzle words start?
Once the child reads short phonetic words from the pink series, usually around 4.5. On this site they run to 7.
How many puzzle words should I teach at once?
Three. Add three more only when the first three are read at a glance.
Are puzzle words the same as sight words?
Nearly. Sight-word lists include some words that can be sounded out, like "it". Puzzle words are only the ones that can't.
Sources cited by book and chapter
- Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method (1912)
Introduction
The introduction to the 1912 English edition, by Henry W. Holmes, says English spelling is so unphonetic that American schools teach whole words by sight and then analyse them into their sounds.
Chapter XVII, Reading
Toy names written on folded cards were drawn from a basket, read mentally and kept secret, and the child who pronounced the name clearly could take the toy.
Once the children could understand the written cards, they refused the toys and preferred to draw and read one card after another.
Reading is the interpretation of an idea from written signs, and a child who does not understand the word he has read has not read it.
- Maria Montessori, Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (1914)
Writing
If the language is not phonetic, the teacher can compose separate words with the movable alphabet and pronounce them, letting the child repeat the exercise of arranging and rereading them.
- Maria Montessori, The Montessori Elementary Material (1917)
Part I, Grammar
In English, to lessen the phonetic difficulties of the language, combinations of vowels and consonants called phonograms are used, which with few exceptions have constant sounds.
Reviewed by
What to offer next
Once the child chooses this work unprompted and finishes it without help, the next lesson to prepare is Command Cards (Reading of Commands).
- Blue series4.5 to 7 years
- Grammar symbols4.5 to 7 years
- Puzzle words4.5 to 7 years
- Green series5 to 7.5 years
- Command cards5 to 7.5 years