FREE Family Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

The Black family is the theme for the 2021 Black History Month. And I think it’s always a great place for young children to start with a study of Black history. So I chose a Black family as the image for the family do-a-dot phonics printable. As usual, the free family do-a-dot printable is an instant download, versatile, and super easy to prepare.

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. This month’s do-a-dot printable has an image of a Black family, which can be used during Black history month or for /f/ for family at any time.
• 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 Family Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable

To download the family 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).

Montessori-Inspired Activities Using the Family Do-a-Dot Printable

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Family Do-a-Dot Work on Magnetic Chalkboard with Mini Fridge Magnets

Note: This is just one example of how you can use the do-a-dot printables. 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.

This activity can be used on a magnetic board like the Melissa & Doug Magnetic Chalk/Dry Erase Board I used or even on a cookie sheet or the refrigerator.

These half ball mini fridge magnets are fun for do-a-dot work! (Of course, only use them with a toddler if he or she is past the mouthing stage or is very closely supervised while using the magnets.)

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. For a 2-year-old or other young preschooler who’s not ready to write letters, you can just leave off the crayons.

This activity includes a variety of curriculum areas. It has phonics and writing (if appropriate for your child), math if you want to place the dots in a pattern, and science with the magnets.

Again, 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 /f/ sound in family, while an older child could focus on building the word with the movable alphabet.

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

/F/ for Family Phonics Activity and Magnet Work

This type of activity is wonderful for fine-motor development, increasing attention span, and reinforcing letter sounds. My 3-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, really enjoyed the work and was proud of her completed page.

For toddlers, 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 /f/ sound at the beginning of “family.”

For a phonics lesson with young toddlers, I might casually say that family starts with /f/ (the sound, not the letter name). This is just to introduce hearing the phonetic sound. I don’t focus on the letter “f,” although I use the printable that we already have available. We often focus on the child hearing the beginning sound by saying something like, “Family, /f/, family.”

Sophia loves working with sandpaper letters and learning letter sounds, so we use the sandpaper letter along with the do-a-dot printable. We follow the order shown in this post along with adding the featured letter. I don’t worry about going out of order for the monthly theme.

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 /f/ sound, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

For older children who already know their letter sounds but still enjoy do-a-dot work, I 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.)

As always, adapt your presentations for your unique child!

Multicultural Resources and Activities That Include Topics Relevant to Black History

Free Black History Printables and Montessori-Inspired Black History Activities

Free Black Family Cutting Strips  (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

Favorite Black History Books for Kids

• Free Black History Songs and Educational Videos for Kids
• Montessori-Inspired Respect for Diversity
• Montessori Inspiration for Martin Luther King Day
• Free Kwanzaa Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Martin Luther King Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Equality and Peace Resources for Parents and Teachers
• The Snowy Day Eggshell Crushing and Pin-Poking Activity
• Promote Peace with Holidays Around the World Resources
• The Best Peace Books for Kids
• Free Multicultural Songs Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion {Character Education Resources}
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: If a Caterpillar Can Fly, Why Can’t I?
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School
• Does Your Preschooler Have This Fabulous Multicultural Children’s Book?
• Best Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: B Is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
• Anti-Racism Resources for Parents and Teachers
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: The Switch (The Misadventures of Tarah and  Darah)
• Free Juneteenth Songs and Educational Videos
• Free Colors and Diversity Printables and Montessori-Inspired Colors and Diversity Activities
• Free Multicultural Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Multicultural Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Multicultural Children’s Book Day Review: Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess – A Little Magic
• Multicultural Education Pinterest Board

Montessori-Inspired Black History Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

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.

If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.

And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!