Cleaning and organizing have been especially important to me lately as I work to KonMari my house. But cleaning is always an important part of practical life activities in the Montessori curriculum. Today’s free duster do-a-dot printable extends the work of the practical life activities as well as reinforces phonics work. As usual, the do-a-dot printable is an instant download and super-easy to prepare!
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Chrissy Chitwood (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. This month’s do-a-dot is simply a feather duster.
- 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 Duster Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable
To download the duster do-a-dot 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).
Montessori-Inspired Activities Using the Duster Do-a-Dot Printable
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Duster Do-a-Dot Letter “d” or Phonogram “er” Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
Duster Do-a-Dot Letter d or Phonogram er Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers
Note: This is just one example of how you can use the do-a-dot printable. There are many ways to use our do-a-dot printables. Scroll down to see examples from previous posts. Just choose an activity that’s appropriate for your child’s age and skill level.
I used a Multicraft tray and Do-a-Dot markers. (Note: These Do-a-Dot Markers have lasted amazingly well!)
You could have a variety of transfer activities with do-a-dot printable. Or you could have a totally different type of do-a-dot activity. See ideas below. Again, just choose what is best for your child’s skill level and interests.
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 pencil. 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 pencil.
Duster Movable Alphabet Word Building, Handwriting Practice, and Fine-Motor Work
Having Fun with Do-a-Dot Markers After Working on Phonogram er in Duster
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 or some sort of transfer on the do-a-dot page and focus on the /d/ sound, while an older child could trace the letters, and build the words with the Montessori movable alphabet.
If you want to know how to introduce the /d/ sound, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.
For a child who’s ready for (or already using) the movable alphabet, you could have the child build the words. My 5-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, likes to use the movable alphabet to build words. (We use the small movable alphabet. I have the movable alphabet from Alison’s Montessori, which I love. You can also get a movable alphabet from Amazon or make your own.) I also included the phonogram card for “er” that we used in our initial phonogram work for er in duster.
Zoey traced the word with red and blue colored pencils and used the movable alphabet to build the word “duster” for our do-a-dot page.
Zoey still enjoys using Do-a-Dot markers. I don’t have them out all the time, and she has fun getting the dots perfectly on the page and deciding which colors to use for her design.
Duster Vocabulary Work, Phonemic Awareness Activity, and Do-a-Dot Marker Work
Having Fun with Do-a-Dot Markers After Duster Vocabulary Activity
Zoey’s 17-month-old sister, Sophia, wanted to do Zoey’s do-a-dot printable, too! So I got out a child-size apron. (Sophia is wearing a Montessori Services apron.)
First, we did some vocabulary work. Using the 3-period lesson, I focused on the word “duster.” I have both a child-size duster and an adult feather duster, so I have the materials to use real objects as well as the picture of a feather duster.
After the vocabulary focus, I casually say that duster starts with /d/. 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. Sophia LOVED using the Do-a-Dot markers and worked with them for quite awhile.
More Cleaning and Tidying Resources and Activities
Free Cleaning and Tidying Printables and Montessori-Inspired Cleaning and Tidying Activities
- How Montessori and Fly Lady Help Me Keep My House Clean
- Helping Hands Practical Life Activities + Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
- Montessori Practical Life Cleaning Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Fun with Cleaning, Movement, and Music Appreciation
- My Family’s Favorite Clean Up Song
- Free Clean Up Songs (Tidy Up Songs) and Rhymes
- Trash Multiplication and Clean-up Game {with Easy DIY Montessori Multiplication Board}
MONTESSORI-INSPIRED PACKS – SUBSCRIBER FREEBIES
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). 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.
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Thanks for sharing. It’s a very interesting super salute.