What is the Movable Alphabet and should you get one?

The Movable Alphabet is an essential part of the Montessori language curriculum. It's used for teaching letter recognition, as well as early reading skills.

So if your child doesn't attend a Montessori school, is it helpful to get this for your preschooler or kindergartener?

Maybe! Let me explain what it is so you can decide if it'll work for your family.

I've also included some budget-friendly options at the bottom, as well as a DIY option.

What is the Montessori Movable Alphabet?

A set of individual letters (in print or cursive), made of wood or plastic, that children can use to form words.

The vowels are typically blue and consonants are red, which helps children distinguish between the two.

The letters are kept in a compartmentalized box for easy access.

What is the purpose of the Movable Alphabet?

It allows the child to use their knowledge of letters and their phonetic sounds to build words.

Once children know the phonetic pronunciation of all (or most) of the letters, this is a great tool to help them begin to construct words.

For example, if a child knows the sound that c, a, and t make, they can use the movable alphabet to create the word CAT.

It is often used with the Pink & Blue Series’ of word building activities, like these: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0536/5530/6394/files/Pink_Picture_Matching_Cards.pdf

Once children can successfully construct individual words, they can then use it to create short phases, and eventually short stories. 

It's an especially useful tool in the early stages of literacy because it allows children to practice word building without having to focus on properly holding a writing instrument, something that will also take time and practice to master.

What age is the Movable Alphabet appropriate for?

It is introduced in the Casa Classroom, at approximately 4 years of age.

Should you buy a set for your child?

It may be a valuable at-home resource for children learning how to spell and form words but it depends. If you’re just looking for a set of letters children can spell 3 or 4 letter words with, you can use magnetic/wood/foam letters at home, like this set from Hape, which is a lot less expensive: https://themontessoriroom.com/products/abc-magnetic-letters-by-hape

The only downside to these sets is they only come with one of each letter.

The Learning Resources Phonics Word-Bulding Magnetic Tiles Set is a great at-home alternative for longer words. It includes 6 sets of consonants and vowels and has similar colour-coding to that of the moveable alphabet. It's also a little cheaper.