Montessori Science of Reading: Blue Heart Words

Heart Words Activity Instructions (Blue Set) Learning high-frequency words that aren’t spelled “phonetically correct” helps students gain fluency and confidence in both reading and writing. This Heart Words pack makes irregular word practice fun, meaningful, and effective! ✅ Preparation Print all pages. Cut the individual cards along the lines. Laminate or place in plastic sleeves for repeated use. Provide whiteboard/dry-erase markers. Before You Begin This pack includes two sets: Blue 1 and Blue 2. Begin with Blue 1, then progress to Blue 2. Introduce only a few words at a time, adding more as the child shows fluency. Continue revising previously learned words. Show students the “heart part”—the portion of the word they must remember “by heart” because it doesn’t follow standard phonics rules. Example: In the word “be,” the e has a heart because students have only been taught the short /e/ sound, but here it makes the long /e/ sound. A heart above a sound signals that it’s either irregular or represents a phonics concept the child hasn’t yet learned. Activities Use a variety of engaging, multi-sensory activities with the word cards: Trace and write the words, adding a heart above the tricky part. Build the words with a moveable alphabet, using the included page of hearts. Hide the cards around the classroom for a Word Hunt, then have students write the words. Write the words with colorful paints. Place words into Elkonin boxes (included in the Modern Montessori Reading Bundle). Use the enclosed handwriting sheets for extra practice. ✨ This Pack Includes the Following Words ✨ again, any, by, could, every, from, give, have, how, just, know, live, of, old, once, out, put, round, some, were, always, because, been, before, buy, does, first, friend, goes, many, orange, other, says, very, walk, which, why, would, write, your