Classroom Kits

These Montessori literacy kits build the skills identified in the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) and Scarborough's Reading Rope (Scarborough, 2001): language comprehension and word recognition, the two components that combine into skilled reading. Each kit is self-correcting, hands-on, and designed for independent or small group work, following the Montessori concrete-to-abstract sequence.

• Vocabulary Building Kit — vocabulary cards, matching cards, and sorting cards all to help children build a robust internal dictionary of words they know.
• Background Knowledge Kit — geography and fine art materials building background knowledge, a strand of Language Comprehension linked to reading comprehension.
• Letters & Sounds Phonics Kit — phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondence, the foundation of the Word Recognition strand.
• Phonetic Decoding Kit — self-correcting practice decoding CVC words and consonant blends, for students who've mastered letter-sounds.
• Digraph Decoding Kit — advanced decoding practice with digraphs, silent e, and multi-syllable words, for students ready to move beyond basic phonetic decoding.

For one foundational early childhood kit, we recommend the Literacy Foundations Kit. This is a a three-step system covering vocabulary, letter-sound knowledge, and beginning phonetic decoding. 

Ages 3–9, aligned with Montessori's sensitive period for language.