A Complete Orton-Gillingham + Montessori Lesson /Sh/
A Mutually Exclusive, Cognitively Exhaustive Phoneme Lesson
By Sean Taylor | Reading Sage | Master's of Special Education
If you’ve ever tried to merge Orton-Gillingham (OG) precision with Montessori beauty and independence, you know the tension: OG is explicit, systematic, and diagnostic… Montessori is fluid, sensory-rich, and child-led.
This lesson resolves that tension.
What follows is a standalone, fully integrated lesson built on:
Mutually Exclusive Instruction → one phoneme, no cognitive overload
Cognitively Exhaustive Practice → every pathway activated (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, semantic)
Montessori Demonstration Model → I do → We do → You do (independent mastery)
π― Target Phoneme: /sh/
(phonogram: sh as in ship)
π§ Lesson Design Principles
This lesson ensures:
Only one new phoneme is introduced → no interference
All prior knowledge is reviewed but separated
Every task targets a distinct cognitive pathway
The child moves from concrete → abstract → automatic
π¦ Materials (Prepared Environment)
Orton-Gillingham Components
Sound cards (previous phonemes + sh)
Blending cards
Dictation notebook
Montessori Materials
Sandpaper letters: s, h
Movable alphabet (word boxes)
Object cards (ship, shop, fish, dish)
Small objects or miniatures (if available)
Sensory Tools
Glitter tray or sand tray
Finger tracing surface
Dry erase board
πͺ Lesson Flow (Montessori 3-Period + OG Structure)
1. Review (Known → Automatic)
(2–3 minutes)
Teacher Action (Direct Instruction – OG Style):
Rapid review of known sounds:
“Say the sound.”
(m, s, t, ch, a, i, etc.)
Student Action:
Respond quickly → build automaticity
π Keep it brisk. No teaching here—only retrieval.
2. New Sound Introduction: /sh/
(Mutually Exclusive Focus)
Montessori First Presentation (Concrete + Silent Demonstration)
Teacher (Minimal Words):
Trace sandpaper s
Trace sandpaper h
Slowly trace both together: sh
Whisper:
π “/shhhhh/”
Key Move:
Finger to lips (gesture for quiet sound)
Student Engagement
Student traces sh
Says: /sh/
Repeat 3 times only. No overload.
3. 3-Period Lesson (Montessori Core)
Period 1: Naming
“This says /sh/.”
Period 2: Recognition
“Show me /sh/.”
“Trace /sh/.”
“Point to /sh/.”
Period 3: Recall
“What sound?” → Student: /sh/
4. Sensory Encoding (Glitter/Sand Tray)
(Kinesthetic Memory Lock-In)
Teacher Models First:
Writes sh in sand slowly
Says sound while writing
Student:
Writes sh
Says /sh/ aloud
π Repeat 3–5 times
5. Blending (OG Structured Literacy)
Teacher:
Introduce simple blends:
sh + i + p → ship
sh + o + p → shop
Procedure:
Tap sounds
Slide finger
Blend
6. Word Building (Montessori Movable Alphabet)
Concrete → Abstract Transition
Teacher Demonstrates:
Builds: ship
Student Builds:
ship
shop
fish
dish
π Student says each word after building
7. Reading Practice (Decoding)
Use cards or word list:
ship
shop
fish
wish
Student reads aloud
If stuck:
π Prompt: “Say the sounds.”
8. Writing (Encoding / Dictation)
OG Dictation Structure:
Sounds
“Write /sh/”
Words
“Write ship”
“Write fish”
Sentence (if ready)
“The fish is big.”
9. Meaning Connection (Vocabulary + Comprehension)
Montessori Object Work:
Match:
Object → Word → Sound
Example:
Mini fish → “fish” → underline sh
π Ask:
“What do you notice at the end?”
10. Independent Work Cycle (Montessori)
Student chooses from:
Sand tray writing
Word building
Picture matching
Reading cards
Teacher observes silently.
𧩠Why This Lesson Works
This lesson is cognitively exhaustive without being overwhelming:
| Domain | Activity |
|---|---|
| Auditory | Hearing /sh/ |
| Visual | Seeing “sh” |
| Kinesthetic | Sand + tracing |
| Oral Language | Saying sounds |
| Decoding | Reading words |
| Encoding | Writing words |
| Semantic | Matching meaning |
π Every neural pathway is activated—but never simultaneously overloaded.
⚖️ Mutually Exclusive Design
We isolate:
One phoneme (/sh/)
One spelling (sh)
One concept at a time
No mixing:
No /ch/
No /th/
No alternative spellings
π This prevents cognitive interference—especially critical for students with dyslexia or processing challenges.
π§ Teacher Notes (Mastery Indicators)
Student demonstrates mastery when they can:
✔ Say /sh/ automatically
✔ Recognize it in words
✔ Write it without prompting
✔ Read and spell simple /sh/ words
π± Extension (Future Lessons)
Once mastered:
Introduce contrast: /sh/ vs /ch/
Add spelling variations later (ti, ci → nation)
𧑠Final Thought
This is what happens when Orton-Gillingham meets Montessori with intention:
Explicit meets exploratory
Structure meets independence
Science meets soul
And most importantly…
π The child doesn’t just learn the sound
π The child owns the sound
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