Shazia Saleem Roll No.

D - 13003 Module -4

Word Building Introduction

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The Process of Word Building

Stage 0 --- Conception of the object

Language is splitting up of a thought in different parts (objects, processes, time span etc.). Thinking
process is built-in in each individual, there is just need to give it sound and signs. Sounds and signs
should be in agreement to all the society. Child have to master the recognition of vibrations coming
through air, in his ear, fusing in his body tissues and reversing the process by producing the same set of
vibrations by collective effort of body tissues. He has to isolate the one impulse with another, giving
different signal.

The child takes in the image of a tree and from many such images of trees the concept ‘tree’ is gradually
formed. The idea of tree is as real in the child’s mind as the tree itself is in the real world. The graphemes
of word ‘tree’ produces the same impulses in brain as the real tree. This is also known as Classical
Conditioning in field of psychology.

Stage 1 --- Simple sounds

Reading begins with unknown and boundary less thought of person in graphic form. Firstly, graphemes
be recognizable, then the child associates phoneme with the grapheme then she fuses the phonemes and
if the word is known to her (other people speak the same word), the fuses sounds are associated with the
meaning of the word.

Stage 2 --- Reading words

Next, child needs to make precise meaning of word fit its’ context in the phrase. Facilitate the process of
synthesizing the phonemes by narrowing the possibilities, limiting the amount of objects limits the
amount of names to choose from. Also each difficulty is isolated by giving a set of keys, phonemes,
graphemes and later puzzle words.

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Stage 3 --- Reading phrases

After the child can read individual words with accuracy, a series of words is given to know, how words
are interrelated to give a forceful sensorial impression. At this stage word order is also taught to child.

Stage 4 --- Reading sentences

By using grammar symbols, functions of different words are introduced to child to complete his idea.
There is always a higher level of awareness that the child must reach. When human beings accomplish
this, they can give the gift of their own minds to others.

Phonographic Classification of Words

When Maria Montessori began to work with children in Casa Dei Bambini, she gave them sand paper
letters to trace while saying correct sound. She didn’t do any specific work in area of reading, but almost
effortlessly children began to read. Italian is a very phonetic language (words are spelled the way they
sound) and once the child knows the sounds he could read.

After the Montessori Method was brought to America in 1920, it was clear that another approach was
needed to teach reading and writing words in English. While there are many phonetically spelled words
in English, there are even more that use phonemes i.e. group of letters combined to form distinct sounds.
For instance ‘ough’ can make several sounds as in ‘through’, ‘bough’ and ‘tough’.

These sounds need to be memorized, they cannot be sounded out phonetically. The pink, blue and green
level materials were developed to meet that need. They break down the essentials of English phonics into
three groups; short vowel sounds, consonant blends and phonetic combinations.

Pink Level Word Work

Pink series words consist of 3 letters a beginning and ending consonant and a short vowel (giving its
basic sound) in the middle e.g. cat, cut, kit, cot, den etc.

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Pink Level Segmentation

Exercise 1 -- LMA & pink phonetic objects
At this stage child should have worked with large movable alphabet and gained familiarity with word
building before starting pink level word work. Place the object in front of child and help him to
pronounce its sounds and construct the word next to the object. Then read the whole word. Take the
second object introduce its name and ask the child to construct word. Repeat the same with the existing
objects in the box. If the child misspells a word, sound the letters with him and give him opportunity to
correct himself. After all the words have been built, ask the child to trace the words in the booklet. Show
the child the other pink boxes on the shelf and tell him to work with them whenever he likes.

Middle level grapheme words can also be included at the end of this stage.

Exercise 2 -- LMA & pink phonetic pictures

Same as above except the boxes contain pictures of three lettered words instead of objects.

Pink Level Blending

Exercise 1 – pink phonetic objects and naming cards
In this exercise pink phonetic object boxes and naming cards of these objects are required. Take the card
naming cup and ask the child if he could see the cup among the objects then place the card next to the
object, thus associate the graphemes of cup with the object. Help the child to sound out word by blending
individual phonemes. Do the same exercise for all the remaining objects.

Exercise 2 – pink phonetic pictures and naming cards

This exercise is same as above except pictures are used instead of objects. Purpose is same as to associate
the graphemes of the words with their image in brain.

Exercise 3 – pink six picture cards and naming cards

In this exercise A4 sized pink cards with six pictures in two rows and 3 lettered phonetic word cards are
required. The directress places the picture card in front of the child and goes through each picture, naming

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it. Then she sounds out the letters on the naming card. After making the child sound the letters, make
him read the whole and place the word card below the respective picture. Repeat for all the word cards,
assisting him when needed. Thus child recognizes a thing individually among many others and identifies
its graphic representation. It is advisable to have several cards at this level to provide a variety of reading
vocabulary.

Exercise 4 – pink level secret box

A pink box containing pieces of pink paper, folded twice having a known three lettered phonetic word is
required. The words in this exercise may also include structure words like and, or, on, of, but, up, did,
let, get, got, at etc. Introduce the secret box by saying very quietly, “The words in this box are secret
words. Don’t let anybody hear this”. Then take one piece of paper from the box, unfold it, read it silently,
ask the child to read it silently and then refold it and put it aside. Ask the child to whisper in your ears
the words that he has read. Repeat the same with other words in the box. Child may repeat the exercise
whenever he wishes. Whispering encourages the focus on meaning of word.

Exercise 5 – word list

This exercise may be done in parallel with reading boxes, using words that are different from those in
pink boxes. Lists may have words with a single middle vowel repeated or an initial or final sound
repeated. There should be approximately 6 to 8 words on each list. Remind him to merge the sounds
quietly and then read the whole word aloud.

Exercise 6 – phonetic booklets

A small booklet for reading (having dimensions 7 by 3 inches) with a pink laminated chart paper as
cover, is needed. Each leaf contains a phonetic 3 lettered word printed on one side. A small writing
booklet and a pencil is also required. The child is encouraged to read the word as a whole, flip the page
over to reveal the next word. Continue the same way till the child has read all the words. At the end
close the booklet form the starting side, signifying the end of the exercise. Later give the child a pencil
and the writing booklet and encourage the child to write the words that is in the booklet one by one.

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Exercise 7 – sight words (side exercise)

These are words that cannot be sounded out and must be learned through sight recognition. White flash
cards bordered in pink are used. The first words to introduce at this level are those that are needed to
complete phrases and sentences. Examples are a, is, the, are, to, of, has, had, then, she, this etc.
Directresses uses the 3 period lesson.

Exercise 8 – pink phrasal strips

Six pink reading strips, each with a picture and a phrase having 3 lettered phonic words and some sight
words are needed. Purpose of this exercise is reading a series of words for meaning, encouraging left to
right directionality, developing fluency and making relations among words. Encourage the child to read
the word as you point to the words in the phrase one by one. Reread the whole phase for meaning and
fluency. Place each strip separately on the shelf to attract the children to it and change them frequently.

Exercise 9 – pink sentence strips

Each sentence strip has a picture on the left and three-lettered phonic words and sight words. Capitals
and punctuation is introduced at this stage. Purpose of this exercise is to introduce the structure and
sequence of a simple sentence. Directress explains that “A sentence always begins with a capital letter
and ends with a full-stop”. Help the child where required to read the whole sentence. Leave a variety of
these strips on the shelf and change them frequently.

Blue Level Word Work

Words introduced at this level are longer (more than 3 lettered) phonetic words of Basic level and Middle
level. These words have consonant blending and double lettered words. Multiple phonetic syllables are
also introduced at this level. Examples are helmet, skunk, barn, ring, plug, camel, basket, hotdog etc.

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Blue Level Segmentation

Exercise 1 – LMA and blue phonetic object boxes
Objects having C(C)VC(C) names are introduced. Remember vowels in these words will only give their
short sounds. Continue to build the names of the objects in the box. Read each word after building.

Exercise 2 – LMA and blue phonetic picture boxes

Same as above except the boxes contain pictures instead of objects.

Blue Level Blending

The same format of materials previously used in the Pink Level Reading sequence is repeated. Now, for
the four or more letter phonetic words, the materials are color-coded blue. The large array of materials
are intended to give the children lots of practice in reading phonetic words. The materials are presented
in different formats in order to keep the children’s interest alive, and to help them feel that they are
progressing. Frequently replace the material to keep their interest alive. Exercises carry same sequence
as in the pink level:

 Blue phonetic object boxes and naming cards

 Blue phonetic picture boxes and naming cards
 Blue six picture cards
 Blue level secret boxes
 Blue level words list
 Blue phrasal strips
 Blue sentence strips

Green Level Word Work

This level introduces the child to:

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Phonograms of basic sounds

These words have same familiar sound but different letter(s) or graphic representation. Examples are kn,
ea, ph, y, g, le, al, mb, wr, ce, sc etc.

Consonant phonograms
These words introduce a new phoneme made by consonant phonograms. Examples are sh, ch, th, ng, zh,
tch etc.

Vowel phonograms
In this group new phonemes (monophthongs and diphthongs) are introduced, having a vowel team and
‘r’ controlled phonemes. Examples are ai, ee, i-e, ow, ir, oo, ow, oy, oor, ue, ear, air etc.

Compound phonograms
This group contains words that have familiar group of phonemes but different graphical representation.
Examples are tion, ture, kw, sion etc.

There are 20-30 phonograms that the child need to learn. For these phonograms materials are developed.
These words have one phonogram but are otherwise phonetic e.g ‘sh’ phonogram can be introduced by
the ‘brush’, ‘fish’, ‘shell’, ‘ship’, ‘shrub’, ‘trash’ etc. Reading material is used for each of the main
phonogram but rarely used phonograms are taught as the child encounters them and no special material
is needed.

Green Level Blending

Exercise 1 – picture boxes and written cards
Green boxes containing pictures and word cards having only one phonogram but which are otherwise
phonetic. Use red ink for phonogram and black for rest of the letters. The name of the phonogram is
written on the lid of the box e.g ‘ch’, ‘ph’, ‘oa’ etc. Prepare as many as words in each box of individual
phonogram. Some phonograms may have as many as 12 while other ma as many as words in each box
of individual phonogram. Some phonograms may have as many as 12 while others may have only 3
words. Tell the child that whenever we see these two letters together, they make the sound /ch/. We don’t

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say /c/ and /h/ separately. Do the same exercise with these cards and pictures as done in pink and blue
level. In case of some phonograms object boxes can also be used in the same way.

Exercise 2 – list of words

Here the words that are not nouns may be used. The words on the lists are written larger, lists may also
be hung on the wall. A picture of a short word containing the phonogram is placed at the top of the list
with the word beside it. For example in the list containing /ai/ phonogram, “snail” could be used, other
words on the list might include: pain, gain, paint, rain, waist, mail etc. Tell the child that the picture is a
clue and the letters in red will sound like /ai/ as in /s/ /n/ /ai/ /l/. Encourage the child to read all the words
in the list. Show the child the other lists. Also invite the child to copy all the words on a piece of paper
using color red for the phonogram.

Exercise 3 – green lists of words 2

One sound may be represented by more than one letter combinations (graphemes). This concept is given
to the child through materials in this exercise. The material consists of an envelope containing a list of
graphemes representing one sound as title. For example ea, ee, ey, ie and y, all give the same sound /ee/
in certain words. Inside the packet there are lists of words each containing words with all of the
graphemes on the packet. Examples are:

 Dream, cream, team, beam, jean, seam, leaf

 Reel, peel, heel, feel, green, seem, bee
 Key, valley, monkey, donkey, hockey, alley
 Thief, grief, chief, brief

Show the child the packet and say all these letters give one sound and that is /ee/ can you say the sound?
Take out first list and ask the child to read all the words then take the second and continue in the same
way. Remind the child sound /ee/ if he forgets.

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Exercise 4 – green sentence strips (story starters)

Words on one strip give practice with a particular phonogram. Show a sentence strip and ask the child,
to read aloud the sentence on the strip. Examples are; A goat got on the road, and sat in a boat. This
exercise may have further steps:

 Sentences having one phoneme represented by one phonogram

Example: Britney lost the key in the alley.
 Sentences having one phoneme represented by different phonograms
Example: The tough elephant broke the fan.
 Sentences having different phonemes represented by one phonogram
Example: Her book has a moon.
 Sentences having different phonemes represented by different phonograms
Example: The cow sat on a big chair in the house.

Exercise 5 – phonogram booklets

Separate small booklets for each phonogram, which is clearly indicated on the cover (size 3.5 by 2.5
inches). Selected words should be different from those given in previous exercises for particular
phonogram. Example: ‘tion’ booklet will contain words such as ‘question’, ‘section’, ‘intention’ etc.

Green Level Segmentation

Exercise – green picture boxes with alphabet boxes
2 sets of alphabet boxes – one in red and the other in black or blue. In each box the vowels and consonants
are the same color and letters are arranged alphabetically. Purpose is to build words containing a
phonogram, recognition of letter patterns in words and develop spelling skill along with vocabulary.
Invite the child and guide him to select a phonogram box, the child is familiar with from the previous
reading exercise. Ask the child the sound of the box. Ask the child to select the letters from the red box
and build the phonogram on top of the lid. Place a picture card, name it and encourage the child to build
it using the alphabet boxes. Guide the child to use red color for phonogram and other color for rest of the
letters e.g chin, rich, trench, bench etc.

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References
https://www.montessoricommons.cc/introducing-reading/

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/PinkBlueGreen-Series_c_21.html

http://www.preschoolu.com/decodable-readers.html#.W45F6egzbIU

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