National Children’s Dental Health Month in February is a perfect time for an extra focus on dental health. Of course, dental health is a great self-care focus for any time.
For our current dental health unit, I have a free printable for a dental health theme, community helper theme, or a phonics activity (either beginning sound, word building, or blending work). As usual, the printable is an instant download and super easy to prepare!
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Note: Be sure to read to the bottom of the post where you’ll find lots of ideas for using do-a-dot printables along with at least one free do-a-dot printable for each letter of the alphabet!
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Chrissy (a former Montessori child), and I are partnering to bring you a series of Montessori-inspired printables. The printables are typically themed and use a number of Montessori principles (although you don’t need to be a Montessori teacher or homeschooler to use them):
- They use isolation of quality.
- They use photographs or realistic images to emphasize reality. Whenever I can, I’ll tell you the specific name of the object or animal featured on the credits page.
- They typically use traditional Montessori colors such as red for consonants and blue for vowels.
- They use lowercase letters, which are what we introduce letter sounds with in Montessori education. (Children tend to pick up the uppercase letters without being introduced if they’re introduced to the lowercase letter sounds.)
- They often feature themed printable versions of Montessori materials.
Free Dentist Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable
To download the /d/ for dentist do-a-dot phonics printable, click here and then click on the file image in the upper right corner of the PDF to save to your computer (just choose where you want it saved).
Dentist Do-a-Dot Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
Dentist Do-a-Dot Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
This do-a-dot printable can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the age and ability of the child. A younger child could just use do-a-dot markers, stickers, or some sort of transfer on the do-a-dot page and focus on the /d/ sound, while an older preschooler could trace the letters and build the word “dentist” with the Montessori movable alphabet. You can also use it to introduce the cursive letter “d.”
For our dentist do-a-dot tray, I used these washable, pastel do-a-dot markers. I placed everything on our usual Multicraft tray. If you prefer, you can use a variety of tools for transfer activities, such as quick sticks, sugar tongs, or toast tongs.
You could add a tracing activity to the printable. If you laminate your printable, you can use an erasable crayon like the Melissa & Doug Learning Mat Crayons or Crayola Erasable Crayons. If your page isn’t laminated, you could add a pencil or colored pencils. I often do that. For a 2-year-old or other young preschooler who’s not ready to write letters, you can just leave off the crayon or pencils.
Scroll down to see lots of ideas for using our do-a-dot printables for a variety of ages and themes.
Dentist Phonics and Do-a-Dot Activities
Concentrating on Dentist Do-a-Dot Work
My 4-year-old grandaughter, Sophia, did a number of activities using the dentist do-a-dot printable. First, we reviewed /d/ for dentist, and then I placed the movable alphabet letters for “dentist” on the table. Sophia found each letter as I sounded out the word. She heard each sound and found the matching movable alphabet letter to spell “dentist.”
Then, Sophia traced the dotted letters on the dentist do-a-dot page. Sophia used triangular grip pencils to trace the letters. Triangular grip pencils are a great way to help young children develop the proper pencil grip.
For children under age 3, I typically use the do-a-dot printables for vocabulary, hearing the beginning sound of a word, and fine-motor skills. Generally, with toddlers, I’ll just focus on the /d/ sound at the beginning of “dentist.”
For a phonics lesson with young toddlers, I might casually say that dentist starts with /d/ (the sound, not the letter name). This is just to introduce hearing the phonetic sound. I don’t focus on the letter “d,” although I use the printable that we already have available. We often focus on the child hearing the beginning sound by saying something like, “Dentist, /d/, dentist.”
I only use printables with toddlers that can be used for hands-on work, such as do-a-dot work, scissor cutting (cutting strips), or another type of printable that can be made into a manipulative. Printables when used with manipulatives are great for fine-motor development, work on important skills, and fit with the hands-on activities that are developmentally appropriate for toddlers.
If you want to know more about how to introduce the /d/ sound, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.
For older children and any children who already know their letter sounds but still enjoy do-a-dot work, I often add the print movable alphabet word building, phonogram work, another hands-on activity to go with the do-a-dot work, and/or cursive movable alphabet and word analysis work. (Note: These examples have more than one type of additional activity, which I like for older children.)
Ready to Straighten Up Her Work
After using the do-a-dot markers, Sophia straightened up her work. Can you tell that purple is her favorite color?!
Working with Tooth-Brushing Model
We also read one of our dental health books, and Sophia worked with a tooth brushing model. The do-a-dot pages are very versatile and can be used to extend a variety of activities!
More Dental Health Resources
Free Dental Health Printables and Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Activities
- The Ultimate Montessori-Inspired Dental Health Unit
- Montessori Activities for Care of Self
- Montessori Self-Care Printables for Multiple Ages
- Dental Health Unit Study Pinterest Board
More Medical Worker Resources
- Free Medical Worker Printables and Montessori-Inspired Medical Worker Activities
- Free Doctor and Nurse Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)
- Free Medical Worker Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Handwashing Activities for Kids – Free Songs and Lessons
- Fun with Handwashing + Handwashing Song by a 2 Year Old
- Montessori-Inspired Hygiene Lessons to Help Kids Stay Healthy
- Free Songs about Getting a Shot {Kids’ Vaccination Resources}
Again, don’t miss our themed monthly packs! You’ll get the link and password for the Living Montessori Now subscriber library with the current pack and all the past monthly packs if you subscribe to the Living Montessori Now weekly newsletter!
Free Do-a-Dot Printables and Ideas for Using Them
I love the versatility of do-a-dot printables! If you’re doing a month-long theme, you could easily change out the type of do-a-dot activity weekly to add interest. Here are four ideas of hands-on activities for any of our do-a-dot printables from my frog do-a-dot printable post (see post for details and materials used).
Just click on an image to go to the post with the related free printable!
Note: I’ve arranged the following gallery in alphabetical order, although some posts have two do-a-dot printables (and two different letters). You’ll find at least one free do-a-dot printable for each letter of the alphabet!
Also, I don’t introduce letters in alphabetical order. You can find out the order in which I introduce letter sounds here. I deviate from that order for our unit studies, though, and focus on a letter that’s simply related to our unit. That’s in addition to our other letter work.
You can see all our free do-a-dot printables with the latest at the top here.
For complete themed alphabet do-a-dot packs, see our Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, Spanish Animal Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack, and Healthy Food Alphabet Do-a-Dot Pack available for purchase in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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