Pre-reading skills begin with phonemic awareness. Phonemic Awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Words are made up of small sound units. We can isolate sounds and blend them together to make meaning. Teaching children rhymes, songs, and sound manipulation games like the Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects train the ear to identify individual phonemes in words, an essential skill for future reading and writing. The Sound Objects are one of my Top Ten Language Materials for the Elementary Years.
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What are Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects?
The Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects are miniatures of real-life objects used to represent letter sounds. They can be collected from around the house, purchased from a store, or bought as a set from a Montessori material company.
Why Teach Phonemic Awareness with the Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects?
Sound Objects Capture Children’s Interest
First and foremost, Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects attract attention and interest. Children want to touch and investigate the colorful miniature objects. It is much easier to teach a child when they are interested in what you are showing them!
When we tell them that the little pumpkin object they are holding starts with /p/ it adds depth, meaning, and impresses the memory with an object/ sound correlation. We can extend the impressionable teaching moment by asking, “What other objects start with /p/? How about this miniature pan, this pen, or this pig? Do you notice they all begin with the sound /p/?”
A 3-Dimensional Multi-Sensory Experience
As a rule 3-dimensional objects impress us more than 2-dimensional flat objects. If I handed you a small pumpkin to hold you would experience it with multiple senses. You could see its roundness, touch its smooth, bumpy skin and feel its weight. If it is a real mini pumpkin, you may even be able to smell it. We could cut it open and look inside, cook its seeds, use its flesh to make pie or soup.
Now imagine I hand you a picture of a pumpkin. You will experience it with only sense: sight. Which would make more of an impression? The one that you can see, touch, smell, and taste, of course!
A picture is better than nothing, but not as impressive as an object. Typically, Montessori lessons start with real or representative objects for initial presentations then use pictures for further work.
Miniature Size
As mentioned before, children are attracted to small colorful objects. Their imaginations are inspired! Another benefit to miniature objects is that they are representative of larger objects that would be heavier, take up more space on a shelf, or be impossible to show (like a zebra!).
How to Use Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects
The Montessori lessons begin with phonemic awareness and build on that awareness by connecting a sound to its written letter symbol and its name (phonics lessons).
Beginning Sounds
Objects that represent the beginning sounds of each letter of the alphabet do two things:
- First, they teach children to focus on and isolate the beginning sounds of words.
- Secondly, they isolate and teach each letter sound in our alphabet.
Both are prerequisites for reading and writing.
The suggested sequence below introduces small groups of beginning sounds that are not easily confused.
*Choose objects with a “clean” beginning sound, meaning that objects introducing the /s/ sound should not begin with a blend like /sp/ as is spoon or a digraph like /sh/ as in sheep.
Set 1: a,m,s,t
Object Ideas: ant, astronaut, map, mat, mop, sack, silk, safe, sailboat, toothbrush, tub, tag
Set 2: e,n,d,f
Object Ideas: envelope, egg, elephant, nest, note, dog, duck, dot, feather, finger, fur
Set 3: i,c,p,r
Object Ideas: igloo, infant, insect, cake, cup, pot, pumpkin, rose, rice
Set 4: o,b,h,l
Object Ideas: octopus, octagon, basket, house, hat, lantern, lamp, leg, list
Set 5: u,k,g,w
Object Ideas: umbrella, kite, gate, watch, window
Set 6: j, q, v, x, y, z
Object Ideas: x-ray, zipper, jug, jacket, vest, violet, yarn, quilt
Connect Beginning Sounds to Written Letters: Moving from Phonemic Awareness to Phonics
After introducing a beginning sound set to a child, you can relate the objects with the written letters representing the sounds. You do not need to introduce all 26 letter sounds before introducing any written symbols. Work in sets of 4-5 letter sounds in isolation, then relate the written letter for each of the 4-5 sounds.
Alternatively, introduce the written symbols alongside the sound objects creating the correlation between sound and symbol right from the beginning.
I recommend using the Montessori Sandpaper Letters to introduce written letters. The Sandpaper Letters are made from sandpaper so your child can tactilely and sensorially trace the letter when learning to associate the sound, its written form, and its name.
The sandpaper letters add another sensory learning impression as well as preparing the child for writing the letter by tracing its proper form on a rough surface.
Ending Sounds
Objects that represent the ending sounds in words help children focus on and isolate the ending sounds in words. Objects used to teach beginning sounds may be reused to teach ending sounds.
For example, a box can represent the beginning sound /b/ and the ending sound /x/.
Ending sound Object Ideas: -n (moon), -d (bed), -b (tub) -t (hut)
Middle Short Vowel Sounds
Objects that share a short vowel middle sound are introduced together and do two things:
- First, they train the ear to isolate the middle sounds in words.
- Secondly, they help differentiate the five short vowel sounds.
Middle vowel sounds are more difficult to distinguish, which is why they are introduced after beginning and ending sounds.
For example, say the sounds /i/ and /e/ aloud. Can you hear how similar they are. Some children struggle to hear the difference. Many children struggle to hear and spell the difference when they begin writing words with medial short vowel sounds.
It is most helpful to use objects that represent Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words as those will be the first short words children write and read. Introduce each middle short vowel sound with a set of objects.
A– cat, hat, rat, cap, map,
E- bed, red, hen, men
I– bib, pig, pin, bin
O– pot, cot, fox, box,
U– bug, rug, bus, nut
BONUS: These objects can be used to teach phonemic rhyming awareness!
Construct CVC Words with the Movable Alphabet- Bridging Phonemic Awareness and Phonics
Once children know beginning, ending, and middle sounds and their written letter symbols, they can begin constructing (building) short CVC words. Children do not need to be introduced to all 5 middle vowel sounds before they begin building words.
Instead, use each middle vowel sound set (above) to teach children to hear and build CVC words with the Movable Alphabet (a box of letter cutouts that children can take out, put together, and move around to form words).
For example, teach children to identify the middle /a/ sound with the objects cat, hat, map, and rat. Then teach them how to build the words by isolating the beginning, middle, and end of each word using letters from the Movable Alphabet.
A transfer of skills happens as children look at a sound object, listen to the beginning, middle, and ending sounds, and choose letters that represent each sound. Children who don’t have the hand muscles yet to write letters can “write” words by finding the letter that represents the sound they hear, and place it at the beginning, middle, or end of the word. Children look at the word they formed (wrote) with the movable letters, segment each sound, then blend them together. Suddenly, they are reading!
The technical term for constructing words is encoding. Children encode words when they listen to sounds and represent the sounds with written symbols. This is writing.
Children decode words when they look at a written word, break it down into sound parts, then blend it smoothly. This is reading.
In a Montessori classroom, we see children writing (encoding words by listening to the individual sounds and choosing a letter to represent that sound) before they begin reading (decoding a word by breaking it down into its sound parts, then blending the sounds together smoothly as a whole word) using the Movable Alphabet.
Blends
Blends are two consonant letters next to each other that each retain their individual sound. Objects help children isolate blends. Children learn the sounds with the objects and build them with the movable alphabet.
Beginning Blend Object Ideas– sp- (spoon), sk- (skate), sl- (sled), cl- (clock), cr- (crack), bl- (block), br- (brush), dr- (drum)
Ending Blend Objuct Ideas -lk (milk), -ft (sift), -mp (lamp), -nt (ant), -st (nest), -nd (sand)
Digraphs
Digraphs are two consonants next to each other at the beginning or end of a word that make a new sound. Objects help children isolate digraphs. Children learn the sounds with the objects and build them with the movable alphabet.
Th– thumb, bath
Sh– ship, brush
Ch-church, chip
Wh– whip
Ph– phone
Silent e- Long Middle Vowel Sound
Vowels have two sounds: The short sound and the long sound where the vowel says its name. When a silent e is added at the end of CVC words, it makes the first vowel say its own name (the long sound). Silent e words can include consonant blends and digraphs (CCVC words). Objects representing the silent e (long vowel) help children become aware of this rule and learn to spell and read silent e words. Children learn the sounds with the objects and build them with the movable alphabet.
a-e: cake, grape
e-e: eve, theme
i-e: kite, white
o-e: cone, globe
u-e: cube, flute
Vowel Teams- Long Middle Vowels
When two vowels are next to each other in the middle of a word, the first vowel makes the long sound (says its name) and the second vowel is silent. These are called vowel teams.
There are some rule breaker words where the first vowel is silent and the second vowel makes the long sound as shown below.
Objects that represent words with vowel teams help children become aware of this spelling rule and learn to spell the words with the correct vowels. Children learn the sounds with the objects and build them with the movable alphabet.
oa– boat, toad, toast
ee– sheep, queen, feet
ea– leaf, treat, beast (long e), bear, pear (long a)
ai– paint, pail, chain, snail
ie– pie, die (singular of dice), tie (long i), chief , thief (long e)
ue– blue, glue, clue
R- Controlled Vowels
R-controlled vowels are vowels that are followed by a letter R. The sound heard is /r/ rather than the vowel sound. Objects that represent words with r-controlled vowels help children become aware of this spelling rule and learn to spell the words with the correct vowel. Children learn the sounds with the objects and build them with the movable alphabet.
IR– bird, fir
AR– star, car
ER– letter, hermit crab
UR– fur
OR– cork
Other Phonemes and Phonics Connections
I hope that by now you can see the vast potential of Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects in isolating sounds and connecting them to phonics instruction with the Movable alphabet for writing and reading. Here are some other phonemic sounds with non-phonetic spellings that can be introduced with objects:
Diphthongs (two vowels or a vowel and consonant together that each retain their own sounds creating a slide): oi, -oy, -ow, aw, au, ou
Vowel Teams (with consonants or used to create new sounds): -igh (long i), oo ( two sounds as in moon and book), -ew (long u)
Word Families (Rhyming): -at, -alk, -ight, -ice, -ack, -ain, -all, -ing, -uck, -unk
Silent Letters: -mb (lamb, limb) kn- (knot, knock)
Soft C and G: C /s/- (city, cent) G /j/- (giraffe, ginger, judge)
{The rule is when c or g are followed by e or i, they make their soft sound.}
Use your imagination when introducing new phonemes with their phonics/spelling connections. Can you introduce a phoneme with an object and connect it to the phonics/ spelling rule making a greater impression on your child’s memory?
Where to Find Montessori Phonemic Sound Objects
Build Your Own Set
Look around the house and you will find many ideal objects to teach phonemic awareness. This option is free, but it does take time and it can sometimes be difficult to find the right object.
Scout for small toy objects from yard sales, junk stores, dollar stores, and craft shops. This option will cost a little more but provide a larger variety of objects to choose from.
The resource book Phonics From A-Z by Wiley Blevins gives example word lists for all 44 Phonemes in the English language, includes game ideas, and therapy teaching techniqes (like mouth and throat positions for sounds). It saved my life as a new teacher in a small Montessori classroom making my own materials and curating curriculum for my students!
Purchase a Collection
Montessori Services sells a complete set of sound objects in addition to individual objects used for beginning, ending, middle, digraphs, and blends offering convenience and saving time. I have collected my own sound objects and purchased a set from Montessori Services (of whom I am not an affiliate).
I use the objects for many other language lessons like Compound Words, Prefix and Suffix, Synonyms, and Grammar lessons throuout the elementary years!