Blue Series (Blend Words)
The blue series is reading material for words with consonant blends, such as frog and flag, for children of about 4.5 to 7 who read the pink series. Card sets cost $69.95 and $70.00 at the two US sellers we checked on October 2, 2026. Seven small objects and blue labels make a homemade box.
The first lesson with it is Blue Series: Words with Consonant Blends. Not sure your child is ready for it? Two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
| Area | Language |
|---|---|
| Used in | |
| From age | 4.5 to 7 years |
| Make it | Easy to make at home |
| Buy it | About $70 to $70 (noted ) |
What the blue series (blend words) is for
The child reads a blue label, sounding out both consonants at the start, and matches it to an object or a picture. Blend words come after three-letter words because the child has to hold two consonant sounds together before the vowel.
The pink, blue and green scheme is later than Montessori's 1912 to 1917 books. Her 1912 reading lessons used the same moves: a label read slowly and laid under a toy in the room.
| Part | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Objects or pictures | Six to eight per set, with names such as frog, flag, drum, crab |
| Labels | One per object, on blue card |
| Word lists and booklets | In the card sets from Alison's and Montessori Services |
| Box | A basket or a box with a lid |
The lessons that use the blue series (blend words)
Blue Series: Words with Consonant Blends
4.5 to 7 yearsReading short words that start with two consonants, such as frog and flag, and matching each label to an object, the step after the pink series.
Buying one: 3 listings checked October 2, 2026
| Seller and set | Made of | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Montessori ServicesLonger Phonetic Words, Level 2 Three-Part Photo Phonetic Reading CardsFive packets, 90 three-part cards, starting with blends such as cr, st and fl and ending with two-syllable words. | Laminated recycled paper | $69.95 |
| Alison's MontessoriMontessori Blue Language Series, Printed (L40)Blends and digraphs in many forms: I Spy sets, 95 picture and word cards, word lists, booklets, command cards, sentence strips. Made in USA. Lamination costs extra. | 80 lb card stock | $70.00 |
| The Montessori RoomMontessori Blue Series Objects (L019-05)Canadian store. Miniature objects with blend and digraph names, such as frog and drum; printable word cards sent by email. Object count not stated. Choking hazard under 3. | Not stated | $199.99 CAD |
- The two US sets are cards, not objects, and cost about the same. Alison's is a bigger bundle with booklets and command cards; Montessori Services' is laminated photo cards.
- Only The Montessori Room had a blue series object box, at $199.99 CAD. Seven objects from around the house do the same job.
- Montessori Outlet and Nienhuis's US store had no blue series material we could find.
- Alison's set is printed paper; laminating it through them adds $82 to $122.
Making the blue series (blend words) at home
What to gather
- Six to eight small objects with blend names: a toy frog, a flag, a toy drum, a crab, a plum, a sled, a paper clip
- Blue card stock and a fine black marker
- Scissors
- A basket or a box with a lid, and an envelope for the labels
| Piece | Size and marking | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Labels | About 3 by 8 cm, blue card, one word each | One per object |
- 1Collect the objects, checking each name starts with a blend and is spelled as it sounds.
- 2Write each name in lowercase, in the same print as your moveable alphabet.
- 3Cut the labels apart and keep them in the envelope.
- 4Put objects and envelope in the basket. Swap in new objects once these are read easily.
Keeping a full set on the shelf
- Swap the objects every few weeks so the child keeps reading rather than remembering.
- Count small objects back into the box; a toddler will find a missing plum before you do.
Questions parents ask about the blue series (blend words)
Is the blue series the same as Montessori blue series cards?
Yes, the cards are one form of it. The series can also be objects with labels, or word lists bound into small booklets. What they share is the blend words, in blue.
Can I make a blue series box?
Yes. Seven small objects with blend names and labels on blue card take about half an hour, and the build above lists the steps.
What color comes after blue?
Green, for phonograms such as sh and ee. Pink is first, with three-letter words.
Before the blue series (blend words), make sure the work before it is solid. The pink series lesson lists the signs that a child is ready to move on.