The Montessori Language sequence
Language runs 12 published lessons here, from Sandpaper Letters at 2.5 to 5 years to Grammar Boxes and Grammar Box Cards at 5.5 to 9 years. They're listed in the order a child meets them, each linked to its full page. We add lessons as each one is written and checked against Montessori's own books, so the list will grow.
Start with Sandpaper Letters, which needs nothing before it. If you aren't sure your child is ready for Language, two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
Language lessons in the order a child meets them
| # | Lesson | Age | Before this |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandpaper LettersSandpaper LettersTo associate each letter shape with its sound, and to learn the movement used to write it. Leads to Sandpaper Numerals and Moveable Alphabet: Building First Words. | 2.5 to 5 years | Can come first |
| 2 | Sound Games (I Spy)To hear the separate sounds in spoken words, starting with the first sound. | 2.5 to 4.5 years | Can come first |
| 3 | Moveable Alphabet: Building First WordsMoveable Alphabet, Pink Series Object BoxTo compose words by sounding them out and choosing the matching letters. Leads to Pink Series: Object Box Reading. | 3.5 to 6 years | Sandpaper Letters |
| 4 | Metal InsetsMetal InsetsTo control a pencil: tracing an outline, then filling a shape with even, parallel strokes. | 3.5 to 6 years | Knobbed Cylinders (Sensorial), Geometric Cabinet (Plane Geometric Insets) (Sensorial) |
| 5 | Pink Series: Object Box ReadingPink Series Object BoxTo read phonetic three-letter words and show understanding by matching each to its object. Leads to Three-Part Cards: Land and Water Forms and Blue Series: Words with Consonant Blends and Grammar Symbols: The Noun and the Verb and Puzzle Words (Sight Words). | 4 to 6 years | Moveable Alphabet |
| 6 | Three-Part Cards: Land and Water FormsThree-Part Cards (Land and Water Forms), Land and Water Form TraysTo read the names of familiar things, match each to its picture, and check the work alone. | 4 to 6.5 years | Pink Series, Land and Water Forms (Cultural) |
| 7 | Blue Series: Words with Consonant BlendsBlue Series (Blend Words)To read phonetic words that begin with a consonant blend and show understanding by matching each to its object. Leads to Green Series: Phonograms. | 4.5 to 7 years | Pink Series |
| 8 | Grammar Symbols: The Noun and the VerbGrammar SymbolsTo find out what a noun and a verb do in a sentence, and to mark each with its symbol. Leads to Grammar Boxes and Grammar Box Cards. | 4.5 to 7 years | Pink Series |
| 9 | Puzzle Words (Sight Words)Puzzle Word CardsTo read at sight the common words that can't be sounded out. Leads to Command Cards (Reading of Commands). | 4.5 to 7 years | Pink Series |
| 10 | Green Series: PhonogramsGreen Series (Phonograms), Moveable AlphabetTo read and spell words that contain phonograms, letter groups with one sound. | 5 to 7.5 years | Blue Series |
| 11 | Command Cards (Reading of Commands)Command Cards (Action Cards)To read for meaning, silently, and show the meaning by doing it. | 5 to 7.5 years | Puzzle Words (Sight Words) |
| 12 | Grammar Boxes and Grammar Box CardsGrammar BoxesTo see how each part of speech works in a sentence by building, changing and acting out sentences. | 5.5 to 9 years | Grammar Symbols |
Metal Insets also needs Knobbed Cylinders from Sensorial. Metal Insets also needs Geometric Cabinet (Plane Geometric Insets) from Sensorial. Three-Part Cards: Land and Water Forms also needs Land and Water Forms from Cultural.
How the Language lessons depend on each other
Language is one strand of the shelf. To see what sits beside sandpaper letters at the same age across all five areas, go to Montessori activities for age 2, or answer six questions for a first shelf of your own.