Vocabulary & Oral Language

If you're looking for materials that build the vocabulary and background knowledge children need before — and alongside — phonics instruction, this is the collection. Oral vocabulary is one of the strongest longitudinal predictors of reading comprehension (Scarborough, 2001; Kendeou et al., 2009). These Montessori materials are designed to build exactly those skills, from toddlers through grade 3+.

This collection directly targets two science of reading strands — vocabulary and background knowledge. Why does this matter? Because a child who can decode fluently but has a weak vocabulary will still struggle to understand what they read. Research refers to this as the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986): reading comprehension requires both the ability to decode words and the ability to comprehend spoken language — and neither is sufficient alone.

Use these materials to directly teach vocabulary, geography, and fine art appreciation. More importantly, use these to inspire conversations with children and help them develop fields of inquiry.

What's in this collection?

Vocabulary Materials

• Vocabulary Cards — Photo-based nomenclature cards for naming lessons; topics span animals, nature, science, geography, everyday objects, and more. For toddlers through grade 3+, including homeschool and ESL learners.
• Matching Cards — Reinforce newly introduced vocabulary through hands-on pairing; support fine motor development alongside language acquisition.
• Sorting Cards — Build categorical thinking and semantic organization which supports vocabulary depth and gist development.

These materials are designed for use with the Montessori three-period lesson, a structured vocabulary acquisition sequence developed by Édouard Séguin and adapted by Maria Montessori:

• Period 1 — Introduction: The teacher names the object or image: "This is a cardinal."
• Period 2 — Recognition: The child identifies the named item without producing the word: "Can you point to the cardinal?" This is the period in which most learning consolidates.
• Period 3 — Recall: The child retrieves and produces the word independently: "What is this?"

This sequence mirrors what cognitive science identifies as the testing effect: retrieval practice during Period 2 and 3 strengthens long-term retention (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006).

Background Knowledge Materials

Background knowledge is a named strand of Scarborough's Reading Rope (Scarborough, 2001). It is foundational for future literacy work.

• Fine Art Display Cards — Develop expressive language, descriptive vocabulary, and art appreciation through structured conversation.
• Geography Folders — Expand background knowledge and cultural vocabulary and share an equitable view of cultural diversity (create an equitable/parallel view of life across all seven continents).

All cards are eco-made with rounded corners in the USA by Maitri Learning.

More Information

→ How Montessori aligns with the Science of Reading

→ Vocabulary lesson video library

→ Free pre-reading lesson plans

→ Pre-reading activities: full blog post

References

Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193258600700104 

Kendeou, P., van den Broek, P., White, M. J., & Lynch, J. S. (2009). Predicting reading comprehension in early elementary school: The independent contributions of oral language and decoding skills. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(4), 765–778. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015956

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x

Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of Research in Early Literacy (pp. 97–110). Guilford Press.