How to Use Montessori Classified Cards for a Variety of Ages, Themes, and Concepts

Montessori classified cards are a staple in Montessori education. They can be used for almost any theme or concept. But they don’t need to become boring. There are so many ways to use them if you’re open to some creative variations.

 

Disclosure: Montessori Print Shop is one of my blog sponsors. I was given a copy of the Montessori Print Shop Classified Cards Bundle. My opinion is honest and my own. This post also contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Print Shop Classified Cards

Montessori Print Shop has always been one of my very favorite Montessori material suppliers. And Montessori Print Shop materials are high-quality materials covering a huge range of areas. The materials are reasonably priced to begin with, but the bundles are even better deals.

The Classified Cards Bundle from Montessori Print Shop is valued at $70.00 and regularly priced at $40.

The bundle includes 59 sets of classified cards: African Rainforest Animals, Air Transportation, Amazon Rainforest Animals, Aquatic & Wetland Plants, Autumn, Big Cats, Birds, Buildings, Butterflies, Cats, Clothing, Colors, Cookware, Coral Reef Animals, Desert Animals, Dogs, Electrical Appliances, Farm Animals, Fish, Flowers (2 sets), Fowl, Fruit, Garden Tools, Ground Transportation, Hand Tools, Insects, Lady Beetles, Marine Invertebrates, Marine Life, Marine Transportation, Marsupials, Montessori Materials, Musical Instruments (2 sets), Owls, Pets, Pond Life, Rays & Skates, School Items, Science Equipment, Sewing, Sharks, Signs, Snakes, Spiders, Sports, Spring, Summer, Tableware, Turtles, Vegetables, Whales, Wild Animals, Winter, and Woodland Animals. That’s 858 classified cards!

Remember to check the sale area each month. You’ll always find some great deals in the Montessori Print Shop sale area.

How to Use Montessori Classified Cards for a Variety of Ages, Themes, and Concepts

Even if you’re a homeschooler or preschool teacher who has no Montessori training, Montessori classified cards are easy to use and a wonderful way to introduce vocabulary and a variety of other concepts. Here are just a very few ideas using some materials from the Montessori Classified Cards Bundle. While I won’t be covering Montessori cards for elementary-age children, I’m sharing ideas for toddlers through age 6 or 7.

Using Classified Cards with Matching Items from Your Household for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers

Can you tell I’m KonMari-ing my house?! Be kind. My folding skills aren’t perfected yet!

This is an example of an activity you could use with toddlers and young preschoolers to identify articles of clothing. I used the Montessori Print Shop Clothing Classified Cards (included in the Classified Cards Bundle). Generally, you might want to use just the picture card. Because I’m using this basket for toddlers and a 5 year old, I used the control cards with picture and label.

I’ll have my toddler grandkids hand me an article of clothing when I show and name the article of clothing on the related card.

For my 5-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, I might play a game where she draws a card and then I show her how to fold the article of clothing KonMari style. Check out our cleaning and tidying unit for lot of helpful fun!

Using Classified Cards to Make a Booklet for Matching with Large Figures for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers

I used the Montessori Print Shop Farm Animals Classified Cards (included in the Classified Cards Bundle) to make a booklet (something my now-5-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, always loved). I placed matching Schleich farm animals (except I left out the pages for the rabbit, which is a bit small, and the turkey, which I haven’t seen from Schleich) on the tray for toddlers and young preschoolers to point to or pick up when I show the page with the matching animal.

For interest, I added the farm-themed Moo book with fun flaps, pull tabs, and textures. My toddler grandkids haven’t seen this activity yet, but I know they’ll love it!

Classified Cards Picture Matching with Figures for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers

This is an example of an activity that works well for toddlers and young preschoolers. It uses a few of the Pets Classified Cards (included in the Classified Cards Bundle) along with a few of the animals from the Safari Ltd. Pets TOOB.

Association Montessori International (AMI) typically uses the picture card only with young preschoolers. Some Montessorians use the control card, which has the picture and word. The picture card only is the clearest and least confusing for a toddler, but I think it’s fine to do it either way. I’ve done both.

I love to add 3-dimensional figures with toddlers and preschoolers. Note: The Safari Ltd. TOOB figures are a choking hazard, so don’t use them with toddlers who still mouth objects unless you’re watching closely every second. I use the larger Schleich figures or larger Safari Ltd. figures (not the ones in the TOOBs) with materials I want to stay on the shelves for toddlers. I use the smaller objects for materials I only take out if I’m very closely supervising every second of the activity.

Classified Cards Matching with Figures for Preschoolers Who Aren’t Proficient Readers

This shows an example of another way to use the Pets Classified Cards (included in the Classified Cards Bundle) along with most of the animals from the Safari Ltd. Pets TOOB. This type of layout is commonly used by teachers trained through the American Montessori Society (AMS). I like it because it gives older preschoolers who can’t read yet a more challenging activity and a way to match both the picture and word. First, the child matches the picture and then the child matches the word to the control card with both picture and word. I like to add the 3-dimensional figures whenever possible, although it isn’t essential.

Note: If you’re interested in classified cards that are perfectly matched to the Safari Ltd. TOOBs, there is a Safari TOOBS Cards Bundle. The  Safari Ltd. TOOB card sets are available individually, too.

Classified Card Matching for Readers

This activity uses the Montessori Print Shop Dogs Classified Cards (included in the Classified Cards Bundle). For children who can read, the AMI-preferred way to use classified cards is to have the child match the word to the picture and then check his or her answer with the control card.

While you can get dogs classified cards to coordinate totally with the Safari Ltd. Dogs TOOB, for types of dogs, I’m using the TOOB keys with the Safari Ltd. figures and using the other classified cards without the figures to get a broader range of  types of dogs.

There are many dogs and dog walkers in both Zoey’s and my neighborhoods. From toddlerhood on, Zoey loved to meet the dog owners and ask if she could pet their dogs. It was fun to see how they taught her to safely approach and pet a dog. Now I want to be sure we can both identify all the types of dogs in our neighborhoods. These cards will be perfect!

More Ways a Set of Classified Cards Can be Used with Young Children

Montessori Print Shop has helpful articles and “how to” tutorials in their dropdown menus at the top of the Montessori Print Shop home page, such as how to prepare 3-part cards and how to make storage pouches for Montessori nomenclature. You can see another idea for making 3-part card folders in my post about music appreciation with Peter and the Wolf.

Other Examples of Montessori Print Shop Materials in Use at Living Montessori Now

I have a number of toddler posts that feature materials from the Montessori Print Shop Toddler Bundle, I have a number of other posts with Montessori Print Shop printables and activities, too!

MORE ABOUT MONTESSORI PRINT SHOP

You’ll always find some great materials on sale from Montessori Print Shop here. Be sure to check out the bundles, which have an extra discount initially!

Montessori Print Shop has free printables, a shop with 2,576 printable materials, and lots of great information and resources (see all the drop-down menus at the top of the Montessori Print Shop home page)! For more information, read my Sponsor Spotlight – Montessori Print Shop.

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