Mammals Vocabulary
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Common Core
Our Mammals Vocabulary cards are text-free picture cards with 12 real photographs of mammals, from humans to seals. Students learn the precise name of each mammal through the three-period lesson, building spoken vocabulary before they read. They are designed for Montessori primary classrooms, homeschools, English learners, and intervention settings.
Mammals are vertebrates that have hair or fur and feed their young milk. That's why this packet includes a cow feeding her calf and a doe feeding her fawn. Students who are reading can meet these same mammals again in our Mammals 3-Part Reading Cards.
Because the cards have no printed words, pre-readers can focus on the photo and its name. Later, students can sort the cards by kind, or combine them with other animal packets to compare groups.
What's included
- 12 cards, each showing one real photograph of a mammal species, with no text; species represent the diversity of the zoological group (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 and a zoologist. 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 mammals 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 grizzly bear is now, a student will understand it when they later encounter it in text.
How do you use mammal vocabulary cards?
First, spark student curiosity by saying you're going to do some work with mammals. Discuss where they might see these animals, such as at home, on a farm, or at the zoo (and even in the mirror), and what it means to be a mammal. Then, choose a few cards at a time and use the three-period lesson to name each mammal. Once students know the names, use the cards for sorting games, such as sorting mammals from birds (easier) or fish (challenging, since some mammals, like seals, live in water). When students are reading, move on to the Mammals 3-Part Reading Cards.
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 mammals.
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