Montessori Language: A Step-by-Step Progression of Pre-Reading Activities
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“The only language men ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything.”
— Maria Montessori
Language is something our children absorb from the moment they’re born. For the first few years, it's all happening naturally… through listening, observing, and engaging with the people around them. But when we offer intentional pre-reading activities rooted in the Montessori approach, we help our children build a strong foundation… not just for reading and writing, but for confidence, curiosity, and connection.
This isn’t about rushing literacy. It’s about sparking joy, deepening awareness, and helping your little one feel like reading is something they’re ready for… not something they’re being pushed into.
Let’s walk through some of our favourite Montessori pre-reading activities you can do at home—simple, playful, and powerful.
Start With Books: The Heart of Language
Reading with our kids is the first and most beautiful step in language development.
Books open up whole new worlds. They give our children access to vocabulary they wouldn’t normally hear in everyday conversations. But more than that, they give us moments of connection… cuddled on the couch, giggling over a silly rhyme, pointing to pictures, asking questions.
We’ve read hundreds of books together, and our list of favourites deserves its own post. But if you’re just starting out, here are a few of our go-tos:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle
Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
The key here is not what you read, but how you share it… together, with joy, and often.
Sound Games: Building Phonemic Awareness the Montessori Way
Montessori language work begins with sound before symbol. Instead of memorizing letter names, children are invited to hear the sounds in spoken words first. Sound games help them build the listening and awareness skills they need before they’re ever introduced to letters.
These I Spy-style sound games are simple to do and incredibly effective.
Level 1: I Spy with Colors
Objective: Learn the structure of the I Spy game and develop object awareness through color.
Setup: Gather a few everyday objects in different colors (think: red Lego, blue cup, yellow spoon).
Instructions:
Say, “I spy with my little eye… something red.”
Hold up the red item and name it out loud: “Yes! A red crayon.”
Let your child take a turn: “Can you find something blue?”
Variation: Turn it into a scavenger hunt around the room or while out for a walk. “Can you find something green in the park?”
Level 2: Initial Sound Awareness
Objective: Tune your child’s ear to the beginning sounds of words.
Setup: Collect a few small, recognisable objects (e.g., ball, car, apple, dog).
Instructions:
Emphasise the starting sound as you name each item: “b-b-ball,” “c-c-car.”
Say, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘b’.”
Your child guesses and finds the ball. “Yes, b is for ball!”
Try This: Make it tactile. Put the objects in a mystery bag and let your child feel and pull one out to guess.
Level 3: Distinguishing Between Sounds
Objective: Help your child choose the correct object by listening for sound differences.
Setup: Use 2–5 objects with very different starting sounds.
Instructions:
Lay out two items: “rug” and “bus.”
Say, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘r’.”
Watch as your child makes the connection.
Start with clearly different sounds, then challenge with more similar ones (e.g., “p” and “b”).
Level 4: Hearing Ending Sounds
Objective: Build awareness of the sounds at the end of words.
Setup: Use objects with the same beginning sound but different endings (e.g., mat, mug, map).
Instructions:
Say, “I spy something that begins with ‘m’ and ends with ‘p’.”
Emphasise final sounds when naming: “Map. P-p.”
This one can take time… it’s a subtle skill. Model patience and keep it light.
Matching Games: Visual Discrimination in Action
It might not seem like a reading skill, but visual discrimination is key. Before a child can distinguish between b and d, they need to spot differences between all sorts of shapes and patterns.
Montessori-style matching games build that visual muscle.
Level 1: Object-to-Object Matching
Objective: Strengthen attention to detail and object recognition.
Setup: Two identical sets of small items—animals, blocks, buttons.
Instructions:
Lay out one set in a row.
Hand your child objects from the second set to match.
Name each item together to build vocabulary: “Dog. That’s a match!”
Level 2: Object to Picture
Objective: Bridge the gap from concrete (objects) to abstract (images).
Setup: Gather objects (like animals or food) and matching photo cards.
Instructions:
Lay out the picture cards.
Hand your child one object at a time to find the correct match.
Talk about the item: “That’s a cow. What sound does a cow make?”
Level 3: Picture to Picture
Objective: Develop abstract thinking by matching two flat representations.
Setup: Two sets of identical picture cards.
Instructions:
Lay out one set in a row.
Let your child match from the second set underneath.
Say each word aloud for sound practice.
Level 4: Object to Initial Sound Letter
Objective: Begin linking sound to symbol using tactile letters.
Setup: A basket of small objects and sandpaper (or textured) letters.
Instructions:
Say the sound of the letter: “c-c-c.”
Find an object that starts with that sound: “C is for cat.”
Let your child feel the letter and repeat the sound.
This hands-on step lays the groundwork for later writing and reading work.
The Clue Game: Early Reading Excitement
This one’s a favourite. Kids love it because they feel like they’re actually reading.
Objective: Use letter clues to identify familiar words.
Setup: 3–5 small objects, pencil, paper, and scissors.
Instructions:
Write the name of one object on a small folded strip.
Say, “Want a clue about what I’m thinking of?”
Your child unfolds it and guesses: “B-b-ball?”
Every correct answer feels like magic. Because it is.
Rhyming Games: Playful Sound Patterns
Rhyming is one of the earliest signs that a child is tuning into language patterns. And it’s FUN.
Objective: Learn to recognise word endings that sound the same.
Setup: 3–5 pairs of rhyming items in two baskets.
Instructions:
Line up one basket on the left.
Pull from the second basket and try to match: “Dog... does it rhyme with frog?”
Sing a little jingle when you find a pair: “Dog and frog, they sound the same!”
You can also play “I Spy”: “I spy something that rhymes with ‘cat’...”
The Foundation We Build Today
All of these pre-reading activities aren’t just prepping your child for school… they’re helping them fall in love with language. And when reading becomes something joyful and empowering from the start, everything else unfolds with so much more ease.
Whether it’s matching, rhyming, spying, or singing silly songs, what matters most is how we do it—with presence, patience, and play.
You’re not just teaching your child to read.
You’re helping them trust their voice.
Which of these Montessori pre-reading activities have you tried with your little one?
What’s their favourite? What surprised you most?
Drop me an email, DM me on Instagram @east2westmama or share this post with a fellow Montessori parent.
And if you’re wondering how this entire sequence fits into the broader Montessori approach to language development, I've got you covered.
Sign up for the newsletter and I’ll send you a free Montessori Language Cheatsheet that breaks it all down step by step, from oral language to early writing. Let’s make sense of the big picture—together.