Help Your Child Learn to Read & Write: The Montessori Way

A free, easy-to-follow infographic that shows the exact steps children take on their natural path to literacy…
from songs and sound play to writing before reading.

If you’ve ever wondered when to start teaching reading or how to make it feel joyful and natural — you’ll love this guide.

This Reading & Writing the Montessori Way infographic breaks down the entire journey into five clear, child-led stages. It’s based on Montessori principles I’ve used with my own kids (and that I share in my YouTube video, “How I Taught My Kids to Read at Home — The Montessori Way”).

You’ll see why Montessori flips the traditional approach: children write before they read, because expressing their own thoughts through sounds and symbols is simpler than decoding someone else’s.

What You’ll Find Inside

The infographic highlights each step in the literacy journey:

1️⃣ Speech, Song & Story: Language starts from birth. Talk, sing, and read real stories daily.
2️⃣ Playing With Sounds: Before letters, children learn to hear the sounds in words through games and everyday play.
3️⃣ Writing Before Reading: Using Sandpaper Letters and the Moveable Alphabet, kids build words with sounds before handwriting.
4️⃣ Reading Emerges Naturally: They begin decoding their own words and matching simple labels to real objects.
5️⃣ The Waseca Reading Program: A four-step process — Form → Check → Read → Write — that reinforces confidence through repetition and self-correction.

Each stage includes real examples you can use at home, plus Montessori materials that make learning tactile, joyful, and child-led.

Download the Free Infographic

Get your free printable Reading & Writing the Montessori Way infographic delivered straight to your inbox.
It’s perfect for parents, teachers, or caregivers who want to:

✔ Understand how literacy unfolds in Montessori education
✔ Support reading and writing at home without pressure
✔ Recognise the signs of true readiness — not arbitrary age milestones