As teachers and parents, we strive to create a comprehensive literacy program that sets our students up for success in reading and writing. One effective approach to achieving this is through phonetic reading, which focuses on the relationship between sounds and letters. In this blog post, we’ll explore the Montessori approach to phonetic reading and the Green Language Series, and a specific resource that can help your students master this crucial skill.

Montessori and Phonetic Reading
The Montessori method, developed by Maria Montessori, emphasizes self-directed learning and hands-on activities. In the context of phonetic reading, this approach encourages students to explore and discover the relationship between sounds and letters through practical exercises and materials.
In a Montessori classroom, students begin with the most basic sounds and gradually move on to more complex ones. They use manipulatives, such as sandpaper letters, the moveable alphabet, and phonetic cards, to develop their phonemic awareness and decoding skills.

The Pink, Blue, and Green Language Series is a key component of Montessori’s phonetic reading approach. This series of materials provides a comprehensive framework for teaching children to read and spell words using phonetic principles.
The Pink, Blue, and Green Language Series
The Pink, Blue, and Green Language Series is a set of materials designed to help children learn to read and spell words using phonetic principles. The series consists of three main levels: Pink, Blue, and Green.
- Pink Level: The Pink Level focuses on introducing children to the basic sounds of letters. Students learn to recognize and write individual letters, as well as blend them together to form simple CVC words.
- Blue Level: The Blue Level builds upon the Pink Level by introducing children to words with consonant blends and short volwes. This level helps students develop their phonemic awareness and decoding skills.
- Green Level: The Green Level is the most advanced level of the series, focusing on complex phonics concepts such as long vowels, graphemes and split digraphs. Students learn to read and spell words that contain these advanced phonics patterns.
Green Language Series: Teaching Children to Read Words with Graphemes
The Green Language Series is particularly useful for teaching children to read words with graphemes (combinations of letters that make a single sound). This series includes materials that help students master complex phonics patterns, such as:
- Graphemes: The series includes cards that contain graphemes for long vowels (e.g., “ea” or “ou”) and split digraphs (e.g., “ai” or “ea”).
- Long Vowels: Students learn to recognize and read words containing long vowels, such as “cheese” or “boat”.
- Split Digraphs: The series introduces children to words containing split digraphs, such as “cake” or “like”.
Printable Resources for Phonetic Reading
To support your teaching of phonetic reading using the Pink, Blue, and Green Language Series, we’ve created a set of printable resources that can be used in conjunction with these materials. These resources include:
Word Puzzles: Printable word puzzles that challenge students to assemble words containing graphemes, long vowels, and split digraphs.

3-Part Cards with Photographs: These cards feature photographs of everyday objects accompanied by 3-part cards with the corresponding words. Students can use these cards to build their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Word lists: These word lists, specifically designed for early readers, focus on common graphemes and split digraphs help students build their decoding skills. With each list, students can practice reading and spelling words that contain these graphemes and split digraphs, gradually increasing their fluency and accuracy. The word lists are organized by sound and letter patterns.

Cards for Spelling and Writing Digraphs: Printable cards that contain digraphs for long vowels and split digraphs. Students can use these cards to practice spelling and writing these complex phonics patterns.


Student Booklet for Coloring or Drawing: A printable booklet that provides space for students to color or draw pictures representing words they’ve learned. They allow students to practice tracing and writing words containing graphemes, long vowels, and split digraphs.

Sentence Cards for Comprehension: These cards feature sentences containing words from the Green Language Series. Students can use these cards to practice reading comprehension skills.

Using the Printables
Here are some ideas for how you can use these printables in your teaching:
- Word Building: Use the word puzzles to build vocabulary and comprehension skills. Have students work in pairs or small groups to assemble words containing graphemes, long vowels, and split digraphs.
- Vocabulary Building: Use the 3-part cards with photographs to build vocabulary and comprehension skills. Have students match the photographs with the corresponding words.
- Spelling Practice: Use the cards for spelling and writing digraphs to practice spelling and writing complex phonics patterns. Have students work individually or in pairs to practice spelling and writing.
- Creative Writing: Use the student booklet for coloring or drawing to encourage creative writing. Have students color or draw pictures representing words they’ve learned.
- Comprehension Practice: Use the sentence cards for comprehension to practice reading comprehension skills. Have students work in pairs or small groups to read sentences containing words from the Green Language Series.
Phonetic reading is a crucial skill for students to master in order to become proficient readers. By using the Montessori approach and resources like the Pink, Blue, and Green Language Series, you can help your students develop their phonemic awareness and decoding skills.
The printable resources provided in this post offer a range of activities that can be used in conjunction with the Green Language Series to support your teaching of phonetic reading. By incorporating these resources into your literacy program, you can help your students build a strong foundation in reading and spelling.
Remember, the key to successful phonetic reading is repetition and practice. By providing your students with regular opportunities to practice their skills using these resources, you can help them become confident readers who are well-equipped for success in all areas of their education.
Additional Tips for Teaching Phonetic Reading
Make it Fun: Make learning fun by incorporating games and activities into your teaching.
Use Real-Life Examples: Use real-life examples to help students connect phonetic reading to their everyday lives.
Differentiate Instruction: Differentiate instruction by providing additional support for struggling students or challenging more advanced students with complex phonics patterns.
Practice Regularly: Practice regularly by providing your students with regular opportunities to practice their skills using these resources.
Be Patient: Be patient with your students as they develop their phonemic awareness and decoding skills.
By following these tips and using the printable resources provided in this post, you can help your students master phonetic reading and become confident readers who are well-equipped for success in all areas of their education.
This series is also available in a cursive font, making it an ideal choice for parents and educators who want to teach children the importance of script handwriting.
Teaching children to write in cursive script is an important skill that can have numerous benefits for their cognitive and motor development. Research has shown that writing in cursive can help improve children’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and even their ability to focus and concentrate. Additionally, writing in cursive can also help children develop their spatial awareness and visual processing skills.
Montessori Phonetic Reading Green Language Series
Develop Phonemic Awareness and Decoding Skills with Our Engaging Printables! The Montessori Green Language Series is a valuable resource for teaching young learners to read and write using phonemes, long vowel sounds, and split digraphs. Designed specifically for PreK, Kindergarten, and Grades 1 – 2 students, this comprehensive package includes a variety of printables to…
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