At Alisons’s Montessori, you can expect connections and continuity between materials. A good example is our series on compound words. Having a series of three progressive materials, as presented in this blog post, offers significant benefits for children’s learning and development. The materials are designed to meet the child’s specific needs and abilities at different stages of development. Our initial image-based material for early childhood caters to pre-readers, while our matching wooden tiles set addresses emerging and more confident readers. Our last material on compound words is part of a classic material, Word Study, which consists of printed labels to match. Each material in the series logically builds upon the concepts introduced in the previous one. The child moves from the concrete image-based exploration of compound words to the more abstract representation of written words. Let’s explore how our materials focus on the foundational understanding of what a compound word is, two separate things combined to make something new!
Materials
- Early Childhood Compound Words – Complete Set
- Early Childhood Compound Words (Printed)
- Compound Words Matching Tiles
- Word Study (6-9) (Printed)
Related materials: Reading Skills Puzzles: Compound Words, Word Study Complete
Compound Words: Pre-readers (Ages 3-4)
Early Childhood Compound Words – Complete Set
In a Montessori classroom, we introduce concepts through tactile materials that cater to different developmental stages. In early childhood, children need to work with concrete representations of concepts such as the combination of two words to create a new word. To offer an optimum experience, our material consists of a tray, picture times, and control cards, which makes the work completely self-guided. Children simply combine two images to create a new word by placing tiles in a tray. For example, the tiles “sun” + “flower” = “sunflower.” They will be delighted to see how creative they can be with language!
Compound Words: Emerging Readers (Ages 5-6)
As children begin to develop their reading skills, you can introduce a more advanced material that bridges the gap between images and written words. Our engaging set of puzzles still provides a concrete approach to recognizing and forming compound words, perfectly suited for emerging readers (ages 5-6). Crafted from smooth, durable wood, each puzzle set features two pieces that fit together to form a complete word. One piece displays the first part of the compound word, while the other piece shows the second part. The puzzle pieces are designed to be self-correcting, fitting together only when the correct word pairings are made. The words chosen for the puzzles align with the typical phonetic patterns introduced in early reading CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) and CVVC (Consonant-Vowel-Vowel-Consonant) words from the Montessori Blue Series, ensuring accessibility and reinforcing early literacy skills.
Compound Words: Confident Readers (Ages 6-9)
As children progress in their reading and writing skills, they move from concrete materials with images to simple words, to a more abstract understanding of language. This third material in our compound word series caters to this developmental shift, introducing printed words designed for children ages 6-9. This activity is part of a broader word study program typically found in Montessori classrooms. Our set on compound words also includes a reproducible workbook to extend their work into writing compound words. Children begin to apply their knowledge by working with complete words and separating them rather than combining them. This helps develop their skills to distinguish any compound words in the future.
In conclusion, exploring compound words through a progressive series of Montessori-aligned materials offers a rich and developmentally appropriate pathway for children to unlock the creative aspect of language. From tangible picture tiles for pre-readers to wooden puzzle pairs for emerging readers, to printed words for new readers, children shift from conceptual understanding to foundational understanding of the abstract world of language. This opens the door to endless possibilities! For more materials on language, visit our website at www.alisonsmontessori.com.
