Grammar Boxes
Grammar boxes are eight compartment boxes and color-coded word cards for building sentences, used from about 5.5 to 9. Wooden boxes cost $117.00 to $424.20 at the US sellers we checked on October 5, 2026, and a printed card set $60.00. Envelopes and handwritten cards make a working set, one box at a time.
The first lesson with it is Grammar Boxes and Grammar Box Cards. Not sure your child is ready for it? Two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
| Area | Language |
|---|---|
| Used in | |
| From age | 5.5 to 9 years |
| Make it | Possible to make with some effort |
| Buy it | About $60 to $424 (noted ) |
What the grammar boxes are for
Box 1 holds articles and nouns. Each box after adds one part of speech, up to all nine. The child reads a sentence card, builds it from word cards taken from the compartments, acts it out, then swaps a card to see what changes.
Montessori described the set in 1917: eight boxes, the first with two compartments and the last with nine, and word cards of one size, a color for each part of speech. She placed them in the elementary years.
| Part | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Boxes | Eight, from two compartments to nine; Montessori Outlet's set counts nine boxes |
| Title cards | One per compartment, in the part of speech's color |
| Word cards | One word each, colored by part of speech |
| Sentence cards | Kept in the back slot of each box, to read and build |
The lessons that use the grammar boxes
Grammar Boxes and Grammar Box Cards
5.5 to 9 yearsBuilding short sentences from color-coded word cards sorted in compartment boxes, one new part of speech per box, from article and noun up to all nine.
Buying one: 4 listings checked October 5, 2026
| Seller and set | Made of | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Alison's MontessoriGrammar Box Sentences and Cards, Traditional, D'Nealian (L132.TDN)Card set only, 147 pages, colored by part of speech. Printed price; lamination options $126 and $189 more. Made in USA. | 80 lb card stock | $60.00 |
| Alison's MontessoriGrammar Boxes (L62)Sale price; regular $130.00. Eight color-coded boxes, no cards. Made in Thailand. | Wood | $117.00 |
| Montessori OutletGrammar Boxes (510400690)Nine boxes by the page's count. In stock. | German beech, silk-screened compartments | $139.95 |
| NienhuisGrammar Boxes (010201)US store price. The page doesn't state the number of boxes. | Birch plywood, beech | $424.20 |
- The cards matter more than the boxes. Alison's printed card set at $60.00 works in any compartment tray.
- Wooden boxes run $117.00 to $424.20 and hold the cards neatly. They're a nice extra once the cards are in use.
- Card colors vary between makers and from Montessori's 1917 scheme. Match the boxes' title cards to your word cards before the first lesson.
- The Montessori Room and Montessori Services had no grammar boxes we could find.
Making the grammar boxes at home
What to gather
- Card stock in the colors of your grammar symbols
- Envelopes, small boxes or a divided tray with up to nine sections
- A fine black marker
- A paper trimmer
| Piece | Size and marking | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Word cards | About 5 by 3.5 cm, the size Montessori gave | 20 to 40 per box |
| Title cards | About 5 by 3 cm, one per compartment | 2 to 9 per box |
| Sentence cards | About 5 by 15 cm white card | 6 per box |
- 1Write six short commands for the box, each changing one word from the last: Close the door, Lock the door.
- 2Write a word card for each word, on the color of its part of speech, without repeating words shared by the sentences.
- 3Make a title card for each compartment in the same color.
- 4Label the sections of the tray or the envelopes, and file the cards.
- 5Make the next box's cards when the child finishes this one.
Keeping a full set on the shelf
- Keep each box's sentences and cards together. Cards from different boxes mixed together make the exercise impossible.
- Replace worn cards rather than taping them; a taped card stands out and gets chosen first.
Questions parents ask about the grammar boxes
How many grammar boxes are there?
Eight in Montessori's 1917 set and Alison's, from two compartments to nine. Montessori Outlet counts nine boxes in its set. The idea is the same: one new part of speech per box.
Can I make grammar boxes at home?
Yes. Envelopes or a divided tray will do for the boxes. The real work is writing the word and sentence cards, about an hour per box.
Do grammar boxes come with cards?
Usually not. Wooden boxes and card sets are sold separately. Alison's sells printed card sets from $60.00.
Before the grammar boxes, make sure the work before it is solid. The grammar symbols lesson lists the signs that a child is ready to move on.