Comparing Montessori and Orton-Gillingham Approaches to Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction

 Comparing Montessori and Orton-Gillingham Approaches to Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction 

Introduction

Montessori education and the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach both emphasize structured, multisensory methods for teaching phonemic awareness and phonics. While they share similarities in their use of tactile, auditory, and visual learning techniques, the two methodologies have distinct pedagogical philosophies and instructional sequences. This article provides an in-depth comparative analysis of how these programs teach alphabetics, phonemic awareness, phonics, and the decoding of complex letter-sound relationships, such as digraphs, diphthongs, and consonant blends.

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Here’s a structured table of English graphemes, categorized into key phonetic groups:

1. Single Letters (Basic Graphemes)

These represent individual phonemes:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

2. Digraphs (Two Letters Representing One Sound)

• Consonant Digraphs
  | ch | sh | th | wh | ph | gh | ng | ck | kn | wr | qu |

• Vowel Digraphs
  | ai | ay | ea | ee | ie | oa | oo | ou | ue | ei | eu | au | ow |

3. Trigraphs (Three Letters Representing One Sound)

• Consonant Trigraphs
  | tch | dge | sch | nth |

• Vowel Trigraphs
  | igh | ear | air | our | eau |

4. Diphthongs (Gliding Vowel Sounds in One Syllable)

| oi | oy | ou | ow | au | aw | ea | ai | oo |

5. Silent Letters (Letters That Modify Pronunciation But Are Not Pronounced Themselves)

• Silent Consonants
  | kn (knight) | wr (write) | gn (gnat) | mb (lamb) | bt (doubt) | lk (talk) |

• Silent Vowels
  | e (cake) | ue (league) |

6. Multigraphs (More than Three Letters Representing One Sound or Idea)

| ough | augh | eigh |

I'd be happy to unpack the concept of graphemes in English for creating effective phonics flashcards. Let me explain why there are estimates of 250-300 graphemes in English and how to organize them for teaching.

Understanding the 250-300 Graphemes Estimate

When linguists say there are 250-300 graphemes in English, they're counting all the different ways that our 44 phonemes can be spelled. This high number reflects English's complex orthography due to its mixed linguistic heritage (Germanic, Latin, French, etc.).

For example, the long /e/ sound can be represented by:

• e (be)
• ee (meet)
• ea (meat)
• y (happy)
• ey (key)
• ie (field)
• ei (receive)
• i (pizza)
• eo (people)

And that's just one phoneme with multiple grapheme representations!

Organizing Graphemes for Flashcards

For Orton-Gillingham instruction, graphemes are typically organized in a structured sequence moving from basic to complex:

1. Basic Single-Letter Graphemes: The 26 individual letters and their most common sounds
2. Consonant Digraphs: th, sh, ch, wh, ph, etc.
3. Vowel Teams: ee, oa, ai, ay, etc.
4. R-Controlled Vowels: ar, er, ir, or, ur
5. Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow
6. Less Common Graphemes: igh, eigh, tch, dge
7. Advanced Patterns: tion, sion, ough

Creating Effective Flashcards

For student flashcards, consider grouping graphemes by:

1. Frequency: Start with the most common graphemes
2. Consistency: Group graphemes that consistently make the same sound
3. Similarity: Group graphemes that represent the same sound
4. Contrast: Create cards that help distinguish similar graphemes

Sample Flashcard Organization

Beginner Level:

• Basic consonants with consistent sounds (b, d, f, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, v, w, z)
• Short vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
• Common digraphs (sh, ch, th)

Intermediate Level:

• Consonants with multiple sounds (c, g, s)
• Long vowel patterns (a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e)
• Common vowel teams (ee, ea, ai, ay, oa, ow)
• R-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur)

Advanced Level:

• Less common vowel patterns (igh, eigh, ough)
• Less common consonant patterns (ph, gh, gn, kn)
• Vowels in unaccented syllables (schwa sounds)
• Word-specific graphemes from Greek and Latin roots

This structured approach allows students to build phonemic awareness progressively while mastering the many grapheme-phoneme correspondences in English.

Would you like me to create specific flashcard content for any particular group of graphemes? 

Overview of Montessori Phonics Instruction

Montessori phonics instruction is deeply rooted in a multisensory approach that follows a natural developmental sequence. It integrates tactile, kinesthetic, auditory, and visual experiences to support early literacy.

1. Sandpaper Letters – These textured letters allow children to trace the shape while simultaneously associating the sound, reinforcing both letter formation and phonemic awareness.
2. Three-Period Lesson – This structured lesson helps solidify understanding:
• Introduction: The teacher names the letter sound.
• Recognition: The child identifies the letter upon request.
• Recall: The child recalls and states the letter sound independently.
3. Moveable Alphabet – This manipulative tool enables children to experiment with letter-sound relationships before mastering handwriting.
4. Phonetic Object Boxes and Matching Games – Children engage with real objects and corresponding words to reinforce phoneme-grapheme connections.
5. Progression from Simple to Complex – Montessori follows a logical sequence, moving from phonetic words to more complex phonograms, including digraphs and diphthongs, using explicit yet discovery-based learning.
6. Minimal Emphasis on Rule-Based Instruction – Instead of teaching explicit phonics rules, Montessori encourages exploration and pattern recognition through repeated exposure and hands-on learning.

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Overview of Orton-Gillingham Phonics Instruction

Orton-Gillingham is a structured, sequential, multisensory approach explicitly designed for students with dyslexia but applicable to all learners. The method is highly prescriptive and systematic.

1. Multisensory Instruction – Lessons incorporate auditory (hearing sounds), visual (seeing letters), and kinesthetic (writing or manipulating letters) activities.
2. Phonemic Awareness Activities – Before introducing letters, students engage in sound segmentation, blending, and manipulation exercises.
3. Three-Part Drill – This structured phonics drill aligns closely with Montessori’s Three-Period Lesson but has a stronger focus on cumulative review:
• Visual Drill: Students identify letters and recall their sounds.
• Auditory Drill: Students hear a sound and write the corresponding letter or letter combination.
• Blending Drill: Students blend letters or phonemes to form words.
4. Explicit Rule-Based Phonics Instruction – Unlike Montessori, OG explicitly teaches spelling rules, syllable division, and phonetic generalizations (e.g., FLOSS rule, silent ‘e’ rule).
5. Structured Progression – OG follows a strict sequence, starting with simple letter-sound relationships and systematically building toward more complex structures, such as digraphs, diphthongs, and vowel teams.
6. Direct and Diagnostic Teaching – Instructors continually assess student progress and tailor lessons to individual needs, making the approach highly personalized.

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Comparison of Key Components

Component	Montessori	Orton-Gillingham
Philosophy	Developmental, discovery-based	Explicit, systematic, structured
Multisensory Approach	Uses tactile (sandpaper letters), visual (moveable alphabet), and auditory learning	Uses visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning in all lessons
Lesson Structure	Three-Period Lesson (naming, recognition, recall)	Three-Part Drill (visual, auditory, blending)
Phonemic Awareness	Embedded in materials and games	Explicit exercises, including segmentation and blending
Phonics Instruction	Inductive, based on exploration and exposure	Deductive, based on explicit rule instruction
Letter-Sound Introduction	Begins with lowercase letters, often in cursive, and introduces sounds before letter names	Begins with individual phonemes and explicitly teaches letter names and rules
Teaching Digraphs & Diphthongs	Introduced through phonetic puzzles and moveable alphabet work	Explicitly taught with phonics rules and word lists
Pacing & Individualization	Self-paced, allowing for exploration	Highly diagnostic, adjusting to student needs

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Instructional Differences in Teaching Digraphs, Diphthongs, and Blends

Both Montessori and Orton-Gillingham introduce complex letter combinations in a sequential manner, but their methods differ:

• Montessori Approach:
• Digraphs (e.g., ‘sh’, ‘ch’, ‘th’) are introduced through phonetic puzzles, reading boxes, and moveable alphabet exercises.
• Diphthongs and long vowel teams are presented within words, often discovered through reading experiences rather than explicit rule-based instruction.
• Students are encouraged to learn patterns through repeated interaction with words, emphasizing meaning over memorization.
• Orton-Gillingham Approach:
• Digraphs and diphthongs are explicitly introduced as distinct phonics rules (e.g., ‘ai’ and ‘ay’ say /ā/).
• Consonant blends are systematically introduced with direct instruction, guiding students to recognize and decode patterns.
• Lessons include spelling rules, syllable division, and structured phonetic drills to reinforce retention.

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Conclusion

While both Montessori and Orton-Gillingham leverage multisensory instruction and emphasize phonemic awareness, their approaches diverge in philosophy, structure, and execution. Montessori fosters a discovery-based learning environment that allows students to internalize phonics through exploration, whereas Orton-Gillingham provides direct, systematic, rule-based instruction that ensures mastery of phonological patterns. The choice between these methods depends on the student’s needs, with Montessori offering a natural progression suited for early learners and Orton-Gillingham providing an intensive framework beneficial for struggling readers, particularly those with dyslexia.

 

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lesson Outline (48 Lessons)

This comprehensive curriculum blends the Montessori approach with Orton-Gillingham’s structured literacy framework. It incorporates multisensory techniques, phonemic awareness activities, and explicit instruction based on the science of reading. The sequence follows a structured progression from foundational phonemic awareness to grapheme-phoneme correspondences and spelling rules.

Lesson Progression Overview:

1. Lessons 1-6: Introduction to phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, and multisensory activities (Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Three-Part Lesson, Phonemic Drills).

2. Lessons 7-12: CVC words, blending, segmentation, and kinesthetic spelling.

3. Lessons 13-18: Digraphs, consonant blends, and vowel teams.

4. Lessons 19-24: Long vowels, silent e, and advanced phonemic manipulation.

5. Lessons 25-30: Syllable division rules and decoding multisyllabic words.

6. Lessons 31-36: Spelling rules, irregular words, and fluency-building.

7. Lessons 37-42: Morphology, prefixes, suffixes, and base words.

8. Lessons 43-48: Reading comprehension strategies and sentence-building.

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Lessons 1-6: Foundational Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetics

Lesson 1: Introduction to Phonemic Awareness & Letter-Sound Correspondence

• Objective: Students will develop awareness of phonemes and learn their first three letter sounds (/m/, /s/, /a/).

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (m, s, a), Glitter Trays, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson with Sandpaper Letters (Montessori)

  • Phoneme Identification with Picture Cards (OG)

  • Tracing and Saying Sounds with Glitter Trays (Multisensory Reinforcement)

  • Sound Discrimination Game (Teacher says words with and without target sounds)

• Assessment: Students identify, trace, and produce sounds correctly.

Lesson 2: Expanding Phonemic Awareness & Blending Sounds

• Objective: Students will recognize and blend /t/, /p/, and /o/ with previously learned sounds.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (t, p, o), Moveable Alphabet, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson for new letters

  • Sound Blending with Moveable Alphabet (forming simple VC/CV words: at, it, am, op)

  • Phoneme Segmentation with Sound Chips

  • Auditory Discrimination: Teacher pronounces words slowly, and students identify the sounds.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to blend two sounds together.

Lesson 3: Beginning Sound Recognition & Handwriting Integration

• Objective: Students will recognize beginning sounds in words and reinforce letter formation.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Whiteboards, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Isolation Game: Teacher says words, and students identify the first sound.

  • Tracing and Writing Sandpaper Letters on Glitter Trays.

  • Introduction to Handwriting on Whiteboards (OG emphasis on letter formation practice)

  • Sorting Game: Students match objects to their beginning sound letters.

• Assessment: Students correctly identify beginning sounds and trace letters accurately.

Lesson 4: Introduction to CVC Word Building & Sound Manipulation

• Objective: Students will blend sounds to form simple CVC words (e.g., mat, top, sip).

• Materials: Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards, Word Cards

• Activities:

  • Word Building with Moveable Alphabet (students arrange letters to form words)

  • Say It, Move It: Students push a chip forward for each phoneme in a word.

  • Teacher-led Oral Blending (I say /m/ /a/ /t/, students blend “mat”)

  • Kinesthetic Writing Practice: Students write words on glitter trays, then whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students blend sounds into CVC words successfully.

Lesson 5: Phoneme Substitution & Introduction to Consonant Blends

• Objective: Students will manipulate phonemes in words and be introduced to consonant blends.

• Materials: Sound Chips, Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Substitution Game (change ‘mat’ to ‘pat’, ‘pat’ to ‘pit’)

  • Introduction to Common Blends (st, sp, bl) with Moveable Alphabet

  • Auditory Discrimination Drill (Students listen to words and raise hand when they hear a blend)

  • Dictation: Teacher says a word, and students write it on their whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to change phonemes and recognize blends.

Lesson 6: Review & Reinforcement of Phonemes, Blending, and Letter Formation

• Objective: Students will consolidate their knowledge of phonemes, CVC words, and consonant blends.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Moveable Alphabet, Whiteboards, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Rapid Recall Drill: Students identify and say all learned sounds.

  • Dictation: Teacher calls out words, and students spell them with moveable alphabet.

  • Phoneme Blending Challenge: Students blend sounds to read words aloud.

  • Reinforcement Writing Practice: Students write dictated words.

• Assessment: Students correctly recognize and blend phonemes, write words, and demonstrate letter formation mastery.

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Next Steps

• Lessons 7-12 will focus on developing CVC word fluency, consonant blends, and short vowel mastery.

• Each lesson continues building upon multisensory techniques and direct phonics instruction.

This curriculum blends the strengths of Montessori’s tactile, exploratory learning with Orton-Gillingham’s explicit, systematic approach to ensure all students develop a strong foundation in literacy.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lesson Outline (48 Lessons)

This comprehensive curriculum blends the Montessori approach with Orton-Gillingham’s structured literacy framework. It incorporates multisensory techniques, phonemic awareness activities, and explicit instruction based on the science of reading. The sequence follows a structured progression from foundational phonemic awareness to grapheme-phoneme correspondences and spelling rules.

Lesson Progression Overview:

1. Lessons 1-6: Introduction to phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, and multisensory activities (Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Three-Part Lesson, Phonemic Drills).

2. Lessons 7-12: CVC words, blending, segmentation, and kinesthetic spelling.

3. Lessons 13-18: Digraphs, consonant blends, and vowel teams.

4. Lessons 19-24: Long vowels, silent e, and advanced phonemic manipulation.

5. Lessons 25-30: Syllable division rules and decoding multisyllabic words.

6. Lessons 31-36: Spelling rules, irregular words, and fluency-building.

7. Lessons 37-42: Morphology, prefixes, suffixes, and base words.

8. Lessons 43-48: Reading comprehension strategies and sentence-building.

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Lessons 1-6: Foundational Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetics

Lesson 1: Introduction to Phonemic Awareness & Letter-Sound Correspondence

• Objective: Students will develop awareness of phonemes and learn their first three letter sounds (/m/, /s/, /a/).

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (m, s, a), Glitter Trays, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson with Sandpaper Letters (Montessori)

  • Phoneme Identification with Picture Cards (OG)

  • Tracing and Saying Sounds with Glitter Trays (Multisensory Reinforcement)

  • Sound Discrimination Game (Teacher says words with and without target sounds)

• Assessment: Students identify, trace, and produce sounds correctly.

Lesson 2: Expanding Phonemic Awareness & Blending Sounds

• Objective: Students will recognize and blend /t/, /p/, and /o/ with previously learned sounds.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (t, p, o), Moveable Alphabet, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson for new letters

  • Sound Blending with Moveable Alphabet (forming simple VC/CV words: at, it, am, op)

  • Phoneme Segmentation with Sound Chips

  • Auditory Discrimination: Teacher pronounces words slowly, and students identify the sounds.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to blend two sounds together.

Lesson 3: Beginning Sound Recognition & Handwriting Integration

• Objective: Students will recognize beginning sounds in words and reinforce letter formation.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Whiteboards, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Isolation Game: Teacher says words, and students identify the first sound.

  • Tracing and Writing Sandpaper Letters on Glitter Trays.

  • Introduction to Handwriting on Whiteboards (OG emphasis on letter formation practice)

  • Sorting Game: Students match objects to their beginning sound letters.

• Assessment: Students correctly identify beginning sounds and trace letters accurately.

Lesson 4: Introduction to CVC Word Building & Sound Manipulation

• Objective: Students will blend sounds to form simple CVC words (e.g., mat, top, sip).

• Materials: Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards, Word Cards

• Activities:

  • Word Building with Moveable Alphabet (students arrange letters to form words)

  • Say It, Move It: Students push a chip forward for each phoneme in a word.

  • Teacher-led Oral Blending (I say /m/ /a/ /t/, students blend “mat”)

  • Kinesthetic Writing Practice: Students write words on glitter trays, then whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students blend sounds into CVC words successfully.

Lesson 5: Phoneme Substitution & Introduction to Consonant Blends

• Objective: Students will manipulate phonemes in words and be introduced to consonant blends.

• Materials: Sound Chips, Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Substitution Game (change ‘mat’ to ‘pat’, ‘pat’ to ‘pit’)

  • Introduction to Common Blends (st, sp, bl) with Moveable Alphabet

  • Auditory Discrimination Drill (Students listen to words and raise hand when they hear a blend)

  • Dictation: Teacher says a word, and students write it on their whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to change phonemes and recognize blends.

Lesson 6: Review & Reinforcement of Phonemes, Blending, and Letter Formation

• Objective: Students will consolidate their knowledge of phonemes, CVC words, and consonant blends.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Moveable Alphabet, Whiteboards, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Rapid Recall Drill: Students identify and say all learned sounds.

  • Dictation: Teacher calls out words, and students spell them with moveable alphabet.

  • Phoneme Blending Challenge: Students blend sounds to read words aloud.

  • Reinforcement Writing Practice: Students write dictated words.

• Assessment: Students correctly recognize and blend phonemes, write words, and demonstrate letter formation mastery.

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Lessons 7-12: CVC Word Fluency, Consonant Blends, and Short Vowel Mastery

Lesson 7: Short Vowel Focus & Word Sorting

• Objective: Students will focus on distinguishing and reading short vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/).

• Activities:

  • Short vowel sorting with picture cards

  • Moveable Alphabet to build words with each short vowel

  • Sound blending drill with flashcards

• Assessment: Students correctly identify and sort short vowels.

Lesson 8: Consonant Blend Practice

• Objective: Students will practice decoding words with common initial and final blends (st, bl, cl, tr, dr, nk, nt).

• Activities:

  • Sound blending and decoding exercises

  • Writing words with initial and final blends on whiteboards

  • Dictation of words containing blends

• Assessment: Students correctly read and spell words with blends.

Lesson 9: Introduction to Word Families

• Objective: Students will recognize and read common word families (-at, -op, -ig, -un).

• Activities:

  • Word family flip book creation

  • Reading word family lists aloud

  • Writing practice with word families

• Assessment: Students correctly read and write word family words.

Lesson 10: Sentence Building with CVC Words

• Objective: Students will begin constructing simple sentences using CVC words.

• Activities:

  • Moveable Alphabet to arrange words into sentences

  • Sentence dictation and writing

  • Read and match activity (matching sentences to pictures)

• Assessment: Students create and read simple sentences.

Lesson 11: Blending & Reading Short Sentences

• Objective: Students will develop fluency in reading short, controlled-text sentences.

• Activities:

  • Partner reading exercises

  • Timed reading of short sentences

  • Writing dictated sentences

• Assessment: Students read short sentences fluently.

Lesson 12: Review & Reinforcement

• Objective: Consolidate learning from lessons 7-11.

• Activities:

  • Cumulative phonics review games

  • Blending drill and dictation

• Assessment: Students demonstrate mastery of skills from previous lessons.

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Next: Lessons 13-18 – Digraphs, consonant blends, and vowel teams.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lesson Outline (48 Lessons)

This comprehensive curriculum blends the Montessori approach with Orton-Gillingham’s structured literacy framework. It incorporates multisensory techniques, phonemic awareness activities, and explicit instruction based on the science of reading. The sequence follows a structured progression from foundational phonemic awareness to grapheme-phoneme correspondences and spelling rules.

Lesson Progression Overview:

1. Lessons 1-6: Introduction to phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, and multisensory activities (Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Three-Part Lesson, Phonemic Drills).

2. Lessons 7-12: CVC words, blending, segmentation, and kinesthetic spelling.

3. Lessons 13-18: Digraphs, consonant blends, and vowel teams.

4. Lessons 19-24: Long vowels, silent e, and advanced phonemic manipulation.

5. Lessons 25-30: Syllable division rules and decoding multisyllabic words.

6. Lessons 31-36: Spelling rules, irregular words, and fluency-building.

7. Lessons 37-42: Morphology, prefixes, suffixes, and base words.

8. Lessons 43-48: Reading comprehension strategies and sentence-building.

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Lessons 1-6: Foundational Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetics

Lesson 1: Introduction to Phonemic Awareness & Letter-Sound Correspondence

• Objective: Students will develop awareness of phonemes and learn their first three letter sounds (/m/, /s/, /a/).

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (m, s, a), Glitter Trays, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson with Sandpaper Letters (Montessori)

  • Phoneme Identification with Picture Cards (OG)

  • Tracing and Saying Sounds with Glitter Trays (Multisensory Reinforcement)

  • Sound Discrimination Game (Teacher says words with and without target sounds)

• Assessment: Students identify, trace, and produce sounds correctly.

Lesson 2: Expanding Phonemic Awareness & Blending Sounds

• Objective: Students will recognize and blend /t/, /p/, and /o/ with previously learned sounds.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (t, p, o), Moveable Alphabet, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson for new letters

  • Sound Blending with Moveable Alphabet (forming simple VC/CV words: at, it, am, op)

  • Phoneme Segmentation with Sound Chips

  • Auditory Discrimination: Teacher pronounces words slowly, and students identify the sounds.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to blend two sounds together.

Lesson 3: Beginning Sound Recognition & Handwriting Integration

• Objective: Students will recognize beginning sounds in words and reinforce letter formation.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Whiteboards, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Isolation Game: Teacher says words, and students identify the first sound.

  • Tracing and Writing Sandpaper Letters on Glitter Trays.

  • Introduction to Handwriting on Whiteboards (OG emphasis on letter formation practice)

  • Sorting Game: Students match objects to their beginning sound letters.

• Assessment: Students correctly identify beginning sounds and trace letters accurately.

Lesson 4: Introduction to CVC Word Building & Sound Manipulation

• Objective: Students will blend sounds to form simple CVC words (e.g., mat, top, sip).

• Materials: Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards, Word Cards

• Activities:

  • Word Building with Moveable Alphabet (students arrange letters to form words)

  • Say It, Move It: Students push a chip forward for each phoneme in a word.

  • Teacher-led Oral Blending (I say /m/ /a/ /t/, students blend “mat”)

  • Kinesthetic Writing Practice: Students write words on glitter trays, then whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students blend sounds into CVC words successfully.

Lesson 5: Phoneme Substitution & Introduction to Consonant Blends

• Objective: Students will manipulate phonemes in words and be introduced to consonant blends.

• Materials: Sound Chips, Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Substitution Game (change ‘mat’ to ‘pat’, ‘pat’ to ‘pit’)

  • Introduction to Common Blends (st, sp, bl) with Moveable Alphabet

  • Auditory Discrimination Drill (Students listen to words and raise hand when they hear a blend)

  • Dictation: Teacher says a word, and students write it on their whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to change phonemes and recognize blends.

Lesson 6: Review & Reinforcement of Phonemes, Blending, and Letter Formation

• Objective: Students will consolidate their knowledge of phonemes, CVC words, and consonant blends.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Moveable Alphabet, Whiteboards, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Rapid Recall Drill: Students identify and say all learned sounds.

  • Dictation: Teacher calls out words, and students spell them with moveable alphabet.

  • Phoneme Blending Challenge: Students blend sounds to read words aloud.

  • Reinforcement Writing Practice: Students write dictated words.

• Assessment: Students correctly recognize and blend phonemes, write words, and demonstrate letter formation mastery.

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Lessons 13-18: Digraphs, Consonant Blends, and Vowel Teams

Lesson 13: Introduction to Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh)

• Objective: Students will recognize and read words containing common consonant digraphs.

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson with digraph sandpaper letters

  • Word sorting with digraphs

  • Writing digraph words in glitter trays

• Assessment: Students correctly identify and use digraphs.

Lesson 14: Consonant Blend Mastery (bl, cl, fl, gl, pl)

• Objective: Students will read and spell words with initial blends.

• Activities:

  • Moveable Alphabet to build blend words

  • Dictation exercises

  • Oral blending drills

• Assessment: Students accurately read and spell blend words.

Lesson 15: Vowel Teams (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow)

• Objective: Students will recognize and read vowel teams.

• Activities:

  • Word building with vowel teams

  • Sound matching with picture cards

  • Writing vowel team words

• Assessment: Students read and spell vowel team words correctly.

Lesson 16: Blending Digraphs & Vowel Teams in Sentences

• Objective: Students will integrate digraphs and vowel teams into sentence reading.

• Activities:

  • Sentence building with moveable alphabet

  • Timed reading of sentences

  • Writing short dictated sentences

• Assessment: Students read and write sentences fluently.

Lesson 17: Dictation and Fluency Practice

• Objective: Students will improve fluency in reading digraphs, blends, and vowel teams.

• Activities:

  • Partner reading

  • Timed word reading challenge

  • Sentence dictation

• Assessment: Students demonstrate improved fluency.

Lesson 18: Review & Reinforcement

• Objective: Consolidate learning from lessons 13-17.

• Activities:

  • Cumulative phonics games

  • Blending drills and dictation

• Assessment: Students master previous concepts.

Next: Lessons 19-24 – Long vowels, silent e, and advanced phonemic manipulation.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lesson Outline (48 Lessons)

This comprehensive curriculum blends the Montessori approach with Orton-Gillingham’s structured literacy framework. It incorporates multisensory techniques, phonemic awareness activities, and explicit instruction based on the science of reading. The sequence follows a structured progression from foundational phonemic awareness to grapheme-phoneme correspondences and spelling rules.

Lesson Progression Overview:

1. Lessons 1-6: Introduction to phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondences, and multisensory activities (Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Three-Part Lesson, Phonemic Drills).

2. Lessons 7-12: CVC words, blending, segmentation, and kinesthetic spelling.

3. Lessons 13-18: Digraphs, consonant blends, and vowel teams.

4. Lessons 19-24: Long vowels, silent e, and advanced phonemic manipulation.

5. Lessons 25-30: Syllable division rules and decoding multisyllabic words.

6. Lessons 31-36: Spelling rules, irregular words, and fluency-building.

7. Lessons 37-42: Morphology, prefixes, suffixes, and base words.

8. Lessons 43-48: Reading comprehension strategies and sentence-building.

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Lessons 1-6: Foundational Phonemic Awareness and Alphabetics

Lesson 1: Introduction to Phonemic Awareness & Letter-Sound Correspondence

• Objective: Students will develop awareness of phonemes and learn their first three letter sounds (/m/, /s/, /a/).

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (m, s, a), Glitter Trays, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson with Sandpaper Letters (Montessori)

  • Phoneme Identification with Picture Cards (OG)

  • Tracing and Saying Sounds with Glitter Trays (Multisensory Reinforcement)

  • Sound Discrimination Game (Teacher says words with and without target sounds)

• Assessment: Students identify, trace, and produce sounds correctly.

Lesson 2: Expanding Phonemic Awareness & Blending Sounds

• Objective: Students will recognize and blend /t/, /p/, and /o/ with previously learned sounds.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters (t, p, o), Moveable Alphabet, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Three-Period Lesson for new letters

  • Sound Blending with Moveable Alphabet (forming simple VC/CV words: at, it, am, op)

  • Phoneme Segmentation with Sound Chips

  • Auditory Discrimination: Teacher pronounces words slowly, and students identify the sounds.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to blend two sounds together.

Lesson 3: Beginning Sound Recognition & Handwriting Integration

• Objective: Students will recognize beginning sounds in words and reinforce letter formation.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Glitter Trays, Whiteboards, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Isolation Game: Teacher says words, and students identify the first sound.

  • Tracing and Writing Sandpaper Letters on Glitter Trays.

  • Introduction to Handwriting on Whiteboards (OG emphasis on letter formation practice)

  • Sorting Game: Students match objects to their beginning sound letters.

• Assessment: Students correctly identify beginning sounds and trace letters accurately.

Lesson 4: Introduction to CVC Word Building & Sound Manipulation

• Objective: Students will blend sounds to form simple CVC words (e.g., mat, top, sip).

• Materials: Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards, Word Cards

• Activities:

  • Word Building with Moveable Alphabet (students arrange letters to form words)

  • Say It, Move It: Students push a chip forward for each phoneme in a word.

  • Teacher-led Oral Blending (I say /m/ /a/ /t/, students blend “mat”)

  • Kinesthetic Writing Practice: Students write words on glitter trays, then whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students blend sounds into CVC words successfully.

Lesson 5: Phoneme Substitution & Introduction to Consonant Blends

• Objective: Students will manipulate phonemes in words and be introduced to consonant blends.

• Materials: Sound Chips, Moveable Alphabet, Picture Cards

• Activities:

  • Phoneme Substitution Game (change ‘mat’ to ‘pat’, ‘pat’ to ‘pit’)

  • Introduction to Common Blends (st, sp, bl) with Moveable Alphabet

  • Auditory Discrimination Drill (Students listen to words and raise hand when they hear a blend)

  • Dictation: Teacher says a word, and students write it on their whiteboards.

• Assessment: Students demonstrate ability to change phonemes and recognize blends.

Lesson 6: Review & Reinforcement of Phonemes, Blending, and Letter Formation

• Objective: Students will consolidate their knowledge of phonemes, CVC words, and consonant blends.

• Materials: Sandpaper Letters, Moveable Alphabet, Whiteboards, Sound Chips

• Activities:

  • Rapid Recall Drill: Students identify and say all learned sounds.

  • Dictation: Teacher calls out words, and students spell them with moveable alphabet.

  • Phoneme Blending Challenge: Students blend sounds to read words aloud.

  • Reinforcement Writing Practice: Students write dictated words.

• Assessment: Students correctly recognize and blend phonemes, write words, and demonstrate letter formation mastery.

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Lessons 19-24: Long Vowels, Silent E, and Advanced Phonemic Manipulation

Lesson 19: Introduction to Silent E (CVCe Words)

• Objective: Students will understand how silent e changes short vowels to long vowels.

• Activities:

  • Word sorting: CVC vs. CVCe words

  • Moveable Alphabet word building

  • Silent e card matching game

• Assessment: Students differentiate CVC and CVCe words.

Lesson 20: Long Vowel Teams (ai, ee, oa, ue, ie)

• Objective: Students will recognize and read long vowel teams.

• Activities:

  • Sound-matching with picture cards

  • Word blending practice

  • Writing vowel team words

• Assessment: Students read and spell long vowel team words.

Lesson 21: Advanced Phoneme Manipulation

• Objective: Students will manipulate phonemes in multisyllabic words.

• Activities:

  • Phoneme deletion and substitution drills

  • Multisyllabic word building

  • Dictation exercises

• Assessment: Students accurately manipulate phonemes.

Lesson 22: Fluency with Long Vowel Words

• Objective: Students will build fluency with long vowels and silent e.

• Activities:

  • Timed reading of long vowel words

  • Partner reading exercises

  • Sentence dictation

• Assessment: Improved fluency with long vowel words.

Lesson 23: Dictation and Sentence Writing

• Objective: Students will integrate long vowels and silent e into written sentences.

• Activities:

  • Writing sentences with learned phonics patterns

  • Peer review and self-editing

• Assessment: Students correctly apply phonics patterns in writing.

Lesson 24: Review and Reinforcement

• Objective: Consolidate learning from lessons 19-23.

• Activities:

  • Cumulative phonics games

  • Dictation and spelling review

• Assessment: Students master previous concepts.

Next: Lessons 25-30 – Syllable division rules and decoding multisyllabic words.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lessons 25-30: Syllable Division Rules and Decoding Multisyllabic Words

Lesson 25: Introduction to Syllable Types and Division

Objective: Students will identify and recognize the six syllable types (closed, open, vowel-consonant-e, vowel team, r-controlled, consonant-le).

Materials: Syllable cards, moveable alphabet, syllable sorting mats, whiteboards, markers

Activities:

1. Three-Period Lesson introducing the six syllable types with visual examples
2. Syllable sorting activity (sorting words by syllable type)
3. Kinesthetic syllable identification (students clap or tap syllables)
4. Word building with moveable alphabet focusing on syllable boundaries

Assessment: Students correctly identify and categorize syllable types.

Lesson 26: Closed and Open Syllable Division

Objective: Students will apply division rules for words with closed and open syllables (VC/CV pattern).

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, syllable mats, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Direct instruction on VC/CV syllable division pattern (where V=vowel, C=consonant)
2. Hands-on syllable division with moveable alphabet (e.g., rob/in, o/pen)
3. Whiteboard practice with syllable division
4. Decodable text reading focusing on words with closed and open syllables

Assessment: Students correctly divide and read words with closed and open syllables.

Lesson 27: V/CV and VC/V Syllable Division Patterns

Objective: Students will understand and apply V/CV and VC/V syllable division patterns.

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, division markers, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Multisensory instruction on V/CV pattern (e.g., ti/ger, ba/con)
2. Multisensory instruction on VC/V pattern (e.g., riv/er, nev/er)
3. Comparison sorting activity (V/CV vs. VC/V words)
4. Dictation of words using both patterns
5. Reading practice with controlled texts containing target patterns

Assessment: Students correctly divide and read words following V/CV and VC/V patterns.

Lesson 28: Consonant-le Syllable Division

Objective: Students will recognize and divide words with consonant-le syllables.

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, syllable division mats, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Three-Period Lesson on consonant-le syllables (e.g., -ble, -dle, -fle, -gle, -tle)
2. Word building with moveable alphabet for -Cle words
3. Division practice with -Cle words (e.g., bub/ble, han/dle)
4. Reading and writing exercises with consonant-le words
5. Montessori-style word sort with consonant-le patterns

Assessment: Students correctly identify, divide, and read words with consonant-le syllables.

Lesson 29: R-Controlled Vowels and Syllable Division

Objective: Students will decode and divide words with r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur).

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, picture cards, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Review of r-controlled vowel sounds with sandpaper letters
2. Word building with moveable alphabet for r-controlled words
3. Syllable division practice (e.g., gar/den, mar/ket)
4. Dictation exercises focusing on r-controlled syllables
5. Partner reading with decodable text containing r-controlled vowels

Assessment: Students accurately read and spell words with r-controlled vowels.

Lesson 30: Review and Application of Syllable Division Rules

Objective: Students will apply all learned syllable division rules to decode multisyllabic words.

Materials: Multisyllabic word cards, moveable alphabet, syllable type mats, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Cumulative review game of all syllable types and division rules
2. "Syllable Challenge" where students divide and identify types in increasingly complex words
3. Reading fluency practice with controlled text containing all syllable types
4. Sentence dictation incorporating multisyllabic words
5. Small group work building and reading multisyllabic words

Assessment: Students demonstrate mastery of syllable division rules and can apply them to unfamiliar multisyllabic words.

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Next Steps: Lessons 31-36 will focus on spelling rules, irregular words, and fluency-building.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lessons 31-36: Spelling Rules, Irregular Words, and Fluency-Building

Lesson 31: Introduction to Spelling Rules - Doubling Rule and Drop E Rule

Objective: Students will understand and apply the consonant doubling rule and the drop E rule.

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, whiteboards, spelling rule charts, spelling notebooks

Activities:

1. Direct instruction on the doubling rule (when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel to a one-syllable word ending with one consonant after one vowel, double the final consonant: hop → hopping)
2. Multisensory practice with word building using moveable alphabet (e.g., run + ing = running)
3. Direct instruction on drop E rule (when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel to a word ending in silent e, drop the e: bake → baking)
4. Word sorting activity (categorizing words by which rule applies)
5. Dictation practice applying both rules

Assessment: Students correctly apply doubling and drop E rules in spelling.

Lesson 32: Advanced Spelling Rules - Change Y to I and Plural Rules

Objective: Students will apply the change Y to I rule and understand plural formation rules.

Materials: Word cards, moveable alphabet, whiteboards, spelling rule reference charts

Activities:

1. Three-Period Lesson on the change Y to I rule (when adding a suffix to a word ending in y with a consonant before it, change the y to i: cry → cried)
2. Word building exercises with moveable alphabet
3. Direct instruction on plural formation rules:
   • Adding -s to most words
   • Adding -es to words ending in s, sh, ch, x, z
   • Changing f/fe to ves for some words
4. Plural word sorting activity
5. Sentence writing incorporating plural nouns and words with Y to I changes

Assessment: Students correctly apply Y to I and plural formation rules.

Lesson 33: Irregular High-Frequency Words (Part 1)

Objective: Students will recognize and spell common irregular words that don't follow phonetic patterns.

Materials: Irregular word cards, personal dictionaries, whiteboards, tracing paper, sand trays

Activities:

1. Introduction to first set of irregular words (e.g., said, was, of, to, the, from, have, does)
2. Multisensory word learning:
   • Visual: Look at the word, notice any patterns or unusual parts
   • Auditory: Say the word aloud, spell it aloud
   • Kinesthetic: Trace the word in sand, write it in the air
3. "Photograph the Word" visualization technique (OG approach)
4. Personal dictionary creation for irregular words
5. Contextual reading and writing with target irregular words

Assessment: Students correctly recognize and spell the target irregular words.

Lesson 34: Irregular High-Frequency Words (Part 2) and Usage

Objective: Students will master additional irregular words and use them in context.

Materials: Irregular word cards, sentence strips, personal dictionaries, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Review of previous irregular words
2. Introduction to second set of irregular words (e.g., one, two, could, should, would, there, their, they're)
3. Word study with homophone distinctions (there/their/they're)
4. Montessori-style sentence building with irregular words
5. Partner dictation and sentence writing
6. Reading of decodable text with high concentration of irregular words

Assessment: Students correctly use and distinguish between irregular words in context.

Lesson 35: Reading Fluency Development

Objective: Students will develop reading fluency with multisyllabic words and apply all learned phonics patterns.

Materials: Decodable readers, phrase cards, stopwatch, fluency tracking charts

Activities:

1. Repeated reading practice with timed tracking
2. Phrase-level fluency building (reading common phrases with automaticity)
3. Partner reading with feedback on accuracy and expression
4. "Scooping" phrases technique (grouping words into meaningful phrases)
5. Self-monitoring strategies for reading comprehension

Assessment: Students demonstrate improved reading rate, accuracy, and prosody.

Lesson 36: Comprehensive Review and Application

Objective: Students will integrate and apply all spelling rules, syllable division patterns, and word attack strategies.

Materials: Review games, comprehensive word lists, reading passages, writing prompts, assessment tools

Activities:

1. Cumulative review game covering all phonics patterns and spelling rules
2. Multisyllabic word challenge (decoding and spelling increasingly complex words)
3. Dictation assessment incorporating all learned patterns
4. Connected text reading with comprehension questions
5. Creative writing incorporating target spelling patterns
6. Progress reflection and goal setting for next unit

Assessment: Students demonstrate mastery of phonics patterns, spelling rules, and fluency strategies covered in lessons 1-36.

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Next Steps: Lessons 37-42 will focus on morphology, prefixes, suffixes, and base words.

Blended Montessori-Orton Gillingham Literacy Curriculum

Lessons 37-42: Morphology, Prefixes, Suffixes, and Base Words

Lesson 37: Introduction to Morphology and Base Words

Objective: Students will understand the concept of morphology and identify base words (roots) in multisyllabic words.

Materials: Word cards, morpheme cards, moveable alphabet, word building mats, whiteboards

Activities:

1. Introduction to morphology concept (words are made of meaningful parts)
2. Base word identification activity with visual highlighting
3. Word dissection exercise (breaking down familiar words into base words)
4. Moveable alphabet work building words from base words
5. Sorting activity: words with same base/root
6. "Word Detective" game to find base words in classroom text

Assessment: Students correctly identify base words within multisyllabic words.

Lesson 38: Common Prefixes and Their Meanings

Objective: Students will recognize and understand the meaning of common prefixes (un-, re-, dis-, pre-, in-).

Materials: Prefix cards, base word cards, definition cards, matching cards, prefix charts

Activities:

1. Three-Period Lesson for each prefix and its meaning:
   • un- (not, opposite of): unhappy, unkind
   • re- (again, back): redo, return
   • dis- (not, opposite of): disagree, dislike
   • pre- (before): preview, preheat
   • in- (not): invisible, incorrect
2. Prefix matching game (match prefix to its meaning)
3. Word building with moveable alphabet (adding prefixes to base words)
4. Meaning change demonstration (show how prefix changes word meaning)
5. Sentence creation using words with prefixes

Assessment: Students correctly identify prefixes and explain how they change word meaning.

Lesson 39: Common Suffixes and Their Functions

Objective: Students will recognize common suffixes and understand how they change words grammatically (-s, -ed, -ing, -ly, -ful, -less).

Materials: Suffix cards, base word cards, word family charts, whiteboards, sentence strips

Activities:

1. Direct instruction on suffix functions:
   • -s/-es (plural or third person singular)
   • -ed (past tense)
   • -ing (present participle/continuous action)
   • -ly (changes adjective to adverb)
   • -ful (full of)
   • -less (without)
2. Word transformation activity (adding suffixes to change word type/function)
3. Montessori-style grammar symbol work with suffixed words
4. Sentence building exercise with suffix focus
5. Apply spelling rules when adding suffixes (review of doubling, drop e, and y to i rules)

Assessment: Students correctly add suffixes and explain how they change word function.

Lesson 40: Advanced Affixes and Greek/Latin Roots

Objective: Students will recognize common Greek and Latin roots and additional affixes.

Materials: Root word cards, word origin charts, affixes cards, etymology resources, word building mats

Activities:

1. Introduction to common Greek/Latin roots:
   • port (carry): transport, export
   • dict (say): predict, dictate
   • spect (look): inspect, spectator
   • struct (build): construct, structure
   • graph (write): paragraph, photograph
2. Word family building with Greek/Latin roots
3. Prefix expansion (intro-, multi-, trans-, sub-, super-)
4. Suffix expansion (-tion, -sion, -ment, -ness, -ity)
5. Word mapping activity (visual representation of word relationships)
6. Etymological discussion of word origins (Montessori cultural connection)

Assessment: Students identify Greek/Latin roots and advanced affixes in multisyllabic words.

Lesson 41: Morphological Problem-Solving for Reading and Spelling

Objective: Students will apply morphological knowledge to decode and spell unfamiliar multisyllabic words.

Materials: Multisyllabic word cards, morpheme break-down mats, whiteboards, dictionaries

Activities:

1. Word attack strategy for decoding:
   • Identify prefixes
   • Identify suffixes
   • Isolate the base/root
   • Apply syllable division rules to the base
   • Blend the parts together
2. Complex word dictation using morphological strategies
3. Partner word challenge (partners create and exchange complex words)
4. Vocabulary expansion through morphological connections
5. Reading passages with morphologically complex words

Assessment: Students successfully decode and spell unfamiliar words using morphological analysis.

Lesson 42: Reading Comprehension and Morphological Awareness

Objective: Students will apply morphological knowledge to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition.

Materials: Reading passages, context clue cards, vocabulary journals, semantic mapping tools

Activities:

1. Explicit instruction on using morphology for context clues
2. "Word Detective" comprehension strategy:
   • Identify unknown word
   • Look for familiar morphemes
   • Use morphemes to predict meaning
   • Check prediction in context
3. Vocabulary journal entries organized by morphological families
4. Partner reading with morphological discussion
5. Comprehension questions focusing on morphologically complex words
6. Word generation activity (create words with given morphemes)

Assessment: Students demonstrate improved comprehension of text containing morphologically complex words.

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Next Steps: Lessons 43-48 will focus on reading comprehension strategies and sentence-building.

I'll unpack and explain the key games, procedures, and teaching techniques found throughout the Montessori-Orton Gillingham blended literacy curriculum. These activities are designed to be multisensory, engaging students through visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile approaches.

Foundational Activities and Materials

Sandpaper Letters

• Procedure: Teachers present textured letters that students trace with their fingers while simultaneously pronouncing the corresponding sound.
• Purpose: Creates a tactile-kinesthetic memory for letter formation while connecting visual symbol to sound.
• Student Experience: Students feel the rough texture of the letter while saying its sound, creating multiple neural pathways for letter-sound association.

Three-Period Lesson (Montessori)

• Period 1 (Naming): Teacher points to a letter and says, "This is /m/."
• Period 2 (Recognition): Teacher asks, "Show me /m/," and student points to correct letter.
• Period 3 (Recall): Teacher points and asks, "What sound is this?" and student names it.
• Purpose: Systematic method for introducing new concepts that confirms understanding before requiring production.

Moveable Alphabet

• Procedure: Students use a set of loose letters to build words before they've mastered handwriting.
• Word Building Activities: Teachers dictate sounds, and students select corresponding letters to form words.
• Purpose: Allows students to practice encoding (spelling) without being limited by handwriting skills.

Glitter Trays

• Procedure: Shallow trays filled with glitter, sand, or salt where students trace letters.
• Purpose: Provides tactile feedback during letter formation practice, reinforcing muscle memory.

Phonemic Awareness Games and Activities

Phoneme Identification with Picture Cards

• Procedure: Students are shown pictures and must identify specific sounds within the words.
• Example: Teacher shows a picture of a dog and asks, "Do you hear /d/ in dog? Where do you hear it? Beginning, middle, or end?"

Sound Discrimination Game

• Procedure: Teacher says words and students indicate (often by raising hand) when they hear target sounds.
• Example: "Raise your hand when you hear the /s/ sound: sun, cat, miss, dog, see."

Phoneme Isolation Game

• Procedure: Students identify specific positions of sounds within words.
• Example: Teacher says "cat" and asks, "What's the first sound you hear?"

Say It, Move It

• Procedure: Students push a counter/chip forward for each sound in a word.
• Example: For "cat," students push three chips forward while saying /k/ /a/ /t/.

Phoneme Substitution Game

• Procedure: Students change one sound in a word to create a new word.
• Example: "Change the /m/ in 'mat' to /p/. What new word do you have?" (pat)

Blending and Segmenting Activities

Sound Blending with Moveable Alphabet

• Procedure: Teacher provides individual sounds, and students blend them together.
• Example: "I'll say sounds, and you blend them to make a word: /m/ /a/ /t/." Student responds: "mat."

Phoneme Segmentation with Sound Chips

• Procedure: Students break a word into individual sounds, moving a chip for each.
• Example: Teacher says "sit," and students push three chips while saying /s/ /i/ /t/.

Teacher-led Oral Blending

• Procedure: Teacher segments a word into individual sounds, students blend them.
• Example: Teacher says "/m/ /a/ /p/," and students respond with "map."

Rapid Recall Drill

• Procedure: Quick-paced activity where students identify letter sounds as teacher points to them.
• Purpose: Builds automaticity and fluency with letter-sound correspondences.

Word Building and Reading Activities

Word Building with Moveable Alphabet

• Procedure: Students arrange letters to form words based on teacher dictation or picture prompts.
• Example: Teacher says "cat" or shows a picture of a cat, and students arrange c-a-t letters.

Word Sorting Activities

• Procedure: Students categorize words based on specific patterns.
• Example Types:
  • Short vowel sorting (words with /a/ vs. /e/)
  • CVC vs. CVCe words (hat vs. hate)
  • Words with different blends (st-, sp-, bl-)

Word Family Activities

• Procedure: Students work with sets of words that share the same ending pattern.
• Example: Creating words in the "-at" family: cat, bat, rat, sat.

Word Family Flip Books

• Procedure: Books with pages split horizontally where students can flip the initial consonant while keeping the word family ending constant.
• Example: Flipping through c-at, b-at, r-at, s-at.

Read and Match Activity

• Procedure: Students match written sentences to corresponding pictures.
• Purpose: Builds reading comprehension and confirms understanding.

Syllable Work

Kinesthetic Syllable Identification

• Procedure: Students clap or tap to physically mark the syllables in words.
• Example: For "butter," students clap twice: but-ter.

Syllable Sorting Activity

• Procedure: Students categorize words by syllable type (closed, open, etc.).
• Example: Sorting "rabbit" (closed syllables: rab-bit) vs. "tiger" (open-closed: ti-ger).

Syllable Division Practice

• Procedure: Students learn to divide words at syllable boundaries.
• Example: Using VC/CV pattern to divide "cac-tus" or V/CV pattern to divide "ti-ger."

"Syllable Challenge"

• Procedure: Students compete to correctly divide increasingly complex words into syllables.
• Purpose: Provides practice with syllable division rules in an engaging format.

Fluency Building Activities

Partner Reading

• Procedure: Students take turns reading to each other, listening and providing feedback.
• Purpose: Provides reading practice with peer support and immediate feedback.

Timed Reading

• Procedure: Students read a passage for a set time, tracking words read correctly.
• Purpose: Builds reading rate while maintaining accuracy.

Repeated Reading Practice

• Procedure: Students read the same text multiple times, focusing on improving speed and expression.
• Purpose: Builds automaticity, fluency, and confidence.

"Scooping" Phrases Technique

• Procedure: Students learn to group words into meaningful phrases rather than reading word-by-word.
• Example: Using a curved line to connect "in the house" as a reading unit.

Morphology Activities

Word Dissection Exercise

• Procedure: Students break down complex words into meaningful parts.
• Example: "unhappiness" → "un-" + "happy" + "-ness"

"Word Detective" Game

• Procedure: Students search for base words or specific morphemes in classroom texts.
• Purpose: Builds awareness of word structure in authentic reading contexts.

Prefix Matching Game

• Procedure: Students match prefixes with their meanings.
• Example: Matching "un-" with its meaning "not or opposite of."

Word Transformation Activity

• Procedure: Students add suffixes to change a word's part of speech or function.
• Example: Changing "quick" to "quickly" by adding "-ly."

Word Mapping Activity

• Procedure: Students create visual diagrams showing relationships between words with the same root.
• Example: Creating a web around "struct" with branches to "construction," "instructor," "destruction," etc.

Assessment Activities

Dictation

• Procedure: Teacher says words or sentences, students write them.
• Purpose: Assesses students' ability to apply phonics knowledge to spelling.

Sound-Symbol Assessment

• Procedure: Teacher shows letters, students produce sounds; or teacher says sounds, students identify letters.
• Purpose: Checks mastery of letter-sound correspondences.

These multisensory games and procedures form the core of the blended curriculum, providing students with repeated, varied practice with key literacy concepts. The approach combines Montessori's self-directed discovery with Orton-Gillingham's explicit, systematic instruction, creating a comprehensive framework for literacy development that addresses the needs of diverse learners.