Our free do-a-dot printable today features a nocturnal animal that is TOO CUTE! And our loris do-a-dot phonics printable is an instant download that is 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. This printable has a photograph of a red slender loris (Loris tardigradus).
- 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 Loris Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable
To download the /l/ for loris 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).
L for Loris Do-a-Dot Tray with Glass Gem Transfer
Loris Do-a-Dot Tray with Glass Gem Transfer
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 /l/ sound, while an older preschooler could trace the letters and build the word “loris” with the Montessori movable alphabet. You can also use it to introduce the cursive letter “l” and/or to focus on the “or” phonogram in loris.
Young childen generally LOVE glass gems. They’re so pretty and fun to touch. They’re perfect with do-a-dot printables, especially when using a tool for transferring the gems from container to the dots. (Note: Be careful with glass gems around children who still mouth objects since they’re a choking hazard and very inviting. With children under age 3, I don’t leave the glass gems on the shelf and only have the glass gems available when I’m directly working with the child.)
You can use a variety of tools for transfer activities, such as quick sticks, sugar tongs, or toast tong (what’s pictured). I used a wooden Multicraft tray for the activity.
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.
Loris Phonics and Do-a-Dot Activities
Working with Loris Do-a-Dot Printable
This type of activity is wonderful for fine-motor development, increasing attention span, and reinforcing letter sounds. For older children or children who are ready, it’s a great printable for working on “or” in loris.
My 4-year-old grandson, Caleb (Chrissy Chitwood‘s son) has been working on the Montessori green series, including phonogram “or.” We’ve also done some introductory work with the cursive movable alphabet.
Caleb enjoyed finding the cursive letters for “loris.”
Caleb used triangular grip pencils to trace the letters.
Then he used a toast tong to put the glass gems on the dots. It isn’t necessary, but he used the do-a-dot markers at the end to fill in the dots.
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 /l/ sound at the beginning of “loris.”
For a phonics lesson with young toddlers, I might casually say that loris starts with /l/ (the sound, not the letter name). This is just to introduce hearing the phonetic sound. I don’t focus on the letter “l,” although I use the printable that we already have available. We often focus on the child hearing the beginning sound by saying something like, “Loris, /l/, loris.”
With preschoolers who are working on their letter sounds, 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.
If you want to know more about how to introduce the /l/ sound, check out my post on how to teach letter sounds using Montessori principles.
I only use printables with children under age 3 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.
For older 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.)
More Nocturnal Animal Resources
Free Nocturnal Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Nocturnal Animal Activities
Montessori-Inspired Nocturnal Animal 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 Woodland Animals and Montessori-Inspired Woodland Printables (Not all woodland animals are nocturnal, but this includes some that are, such as the fox and hedgehog.)
Montessori-Inspired Owl Unit with Free Printables and Activities
Free Raccoon Printables and Montessori-Inspired Raccoon Activities
Free Bat Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bat Activities
HELPFUL ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION POSTS
- Living and Non-Living
- Plant and Animal Sorting
- Montessori Animal Classification
- Free Zoo Printables and Montessori-Inspired Zoo Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Animal Units
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.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
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Love them! Using it for my children and as part of my curriculum at home