Large movable alphabet: orientation exercise
What is the Large movable alphabet?
The Large movable alphabet is a wooden box found in the Language area of a Montessori classroom. This box is split into different sections to contain the letters of the alphabet. The letters are loose, cutout, and plastic, the vowels are blue and the consonants are red.
There is a letter stuck on the bottom of each section to act as a guide for the child when the letters are replaced back in the box. The directress uses a floor mat and a felt-lined mat for this activity.
Large Movable Alphabet: orientation exercise
How is this activity presented?
The orientation exercise can be done with the child once he knows at least half of the letters. The directress begins the activity by showing the child how to carry the large movable alphabet carefully with two hands and brings it to the mat. She also brings the piece of line felt to the floor mat.
The directress introduces the large movable alphabet to the child. She asks him to find certain letters and then to place them in between the lines of the felt line mat. Once the directress feels the child is confident enough, she tells him that they are going to build words.
She picks a word where the child knows all three of the letters, for example, dog. The directress begins by asking the child, “what is the first sound you hear when I say the word cat?” She puts emphasis on the letter c. The child should then say ‘c’, he then looks for the letter in the large movable alphabet box and places it between the lines of the felt mat.
The directress moves on by asking the child, “What is the second sound you hear when I say the word cat?” putting emphasis on the letter a. The child then says ‘c’ and finds the letter from the box and places it to the right of ‘c’ on the mat.
She then asks the child, “what is the last sound you hear when i say the word cat?” again emphasizing the letter t. The child should then say ‘t’. He finds the letter in the box and places it to the right of ‘a’ on the mat, to complete the word ‘cat’.
The directress continues to build words with the child until he has had enough and wants to pack away. She ensures not to correct the child if he picks up an incorrect letter and to not read the word back to him once he has completed building the word. This activity is for the child to learn that words are made up of sounds.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is a list of all the Montessori Language activities. These include Early Language, Pink Language Materials, Green Language Materials, Later Language, and Grammar. Just click on the page you want to learn about to go there.