Butterflies Vocabulary
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Our Butterflies Vocabulary cards are text-free picture cards with 12 real photographs of North American butterflies. Students learn the precise name of each butterfly through the three-period lesson, building spoken vocabulary before they read. They are designed for Montessori primary classrooms, homeschools, English learners, and intervention settings.
Butterflies are insects, with six legs and three body parts. Their wings are covered in tiny overlapping scales, which give them their colors and patterns. Students who are reading can meet these same animals again in our Butterflies 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 butterfly species, with no text; species are ones students might actually encounter in North America (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 butterflies 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 monarch is now, a student will understand it when they later encounter it in text.
How do you use butterfly vocabulary cards?
First, spark student curiosity by saying you're going to do some work with butterflies. Discuss where they might see these animals, such as a garden, a meadow, or on flowers, and what makes a butterfly an insect. Then, choose a few cards at a time and use the three-period lesson to name each butterfly. Once students know the names, use the cards for sorting games, such as sorting butterflies from dogs or birds. When students are reading, move on to the Butterflies3-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 butterflies.
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