Horses (Coat Colors) Vocabulary
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Our Horses (Coat Colors) Vocabulary cards are text-free picture cards with 12 real photographs of horses with common and interesting coat colors (like bay or palomino). Students learn the precise name of each coat color through the three-period lesson, building spoken vocabulary before they read. They are designed for Montessori primary classrooms, homeschools, English learners, and intervention settings.
A horse's coat color describes more than the color of its body. A bay has a reddish-brown body with a black mane, tail, and lower legs, while a chestnut is reddish all over, with no black. Some colors even change with age: many gray horses are born dark and grow lighter over the years.
Because the cards have no printed words, pre-readers can focus on the photo and its name. Later, students can sort the cards by the features they notice.
What's included
- 12 cards, each showing one real photograph of a horse coat color, with no text; colors include common and interesting ones (see photo for list)
- Cards are approx. 4¼" x 3¾"
- Eco-laminated with a food-grade laminate, with rounded corners
- Sturdy, clear reclosable bag for storage
- Lesson plan included
Display these cards in our medium cloth pouches (sold separately).
Created by a Montessori teacher. Eco-printed in our rural New England office.
Made in the USA. CPSIA compliant.
Note: Photos may change from those pictured.
Why do vocabulary cards matter for reading?
Interest drives learning. Montessori is a student-centered approach: the teacher observes what each student is curious about and offers materials that match. A student fascinated by horses will choose these cards again and again, and each time is more practice naming, discussing, and sorting. That practice builds vocabulary, part of the language comprehension side of reading in both Gough and Tunmer's (1986) simple view of reading and Scarborough's (2001) reading rope. By learning what a bay is now, a student will understand the word when they later encounter it in text.
How do you use horse coat color vocabulary cards?
First, spark student curiosity by saying you're going to do some work with horses. Discuss the horses students have seen, on a farm, at a stable, or in a book, and what colors they were. Then, choose a few cards at a time and use the three-period lesson to name each coat color. Once students know the names, invite them to look closely at the mane, tail, and legs of each horse. Then use the cards for sorting games, such as sorting horses from our Dogs Vocabulary cards. When students are reading, move on to the Horses (Coat Colors) 3-Part Reading Cards, Definition Books, and Definition Cards for a complete learning experience.
What ages is this for?
Typically ages 3 and up. The cards work well for pre-readers, English learners, and students in intervention settings, as well as older students with a special interest in horses.
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