Pets Vocabulary
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Eco-Happy
Fun & Engaging Activities
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Common Core
Our Pets Vocabulary cards are text-free picture cards with 12 real photographs of animals commonly kept as pets. Students learn the precise name of each animal through the three-period lesson, building spoken vocabulary before they read. They are designed for Montessori primary classrooms, homeschools, English learners, and intervention settings.
Montessori language work begins with the child's own world, and for many children that world includes a beloved pet. The animals people keep as pets come from many different groups, including mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles, which makes pets a friendly first step into learning how animals are classified.
Because the cards have no printed words, pre-readers can focus on the photo and its name. Later, students can sort the cards in new ways, or connect them to the real animals they care for.
What's included
- 12 cards, each showing one real photograph of an animal commonly kept as a pet, with no text (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 animals will choose these cards again and again. 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.
How do you use pet vocabulary cards?
First, spark student curiosity by saying you're going to do some work with pets. Discuss the pets students have at home or would like to have, and what each animal needs to stay healthy. Then, choose a few cards at a time and use the three-period lesson to name each animal. Once students know the names, connect the cards to real animal care: caring for a classroom pet, or visiting an animal shelter, brings the new words to life. Then use the cards for sorting games, such as sorting pets from our Around the House cards (easier), or sorting pets by animal group, such as mammals, birds, and fish (challenging). When students are reading, move on to the Pets 3-Part Reading Cards.
What ages is this for?
Typically ages 3 and up. The cards work well for pre-readers and students in intervention settings. They are especially useful for English learners, since they cover everyday words about animals at home.
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