Product description

Phonetic Level 1E is the fifth and final packet in our pink series of Montessori phonetic 3-part cards. It has six simple 2- or 3-letter CVC and VC words using all five short vowels, a, e, i, o, and u (like lid and ax). Students sound out each word label, match it to its photo, and check their own work with the control cards.

Packet 1E brings together everything from Packets 1A to 1D. Like Packet 1D, it has no rhyming pairs. Several words start with b or l, for one more small step up in challenge. Every photo shows something students most likely already know, so new vocabulary doesn't get in the way of a beginning reader.

What's included

  • 18 cards: six CVC and VC phonetic words in 3-part format (a photo card, a word card, and a control card for each word)
  • All five short vowels: a, e, i, o, and u
  • Photos of familiar things, so there are few vocabulary roadblocks
  • Cards are approx. 3¾" x 4¼" control cards, 3¾" x 3" photo cards, and 3¾" x 1¼" word cards
  • Eco-laminated with a food-grade laminate and rounded corners
  • Sturdy, clear reclosable bag for storage
  • Lesson plan included

Packet 1E is also part of our Phonetic Level 1 Set, which includes all five pink series packets (1A–1E).

Add our pink 3-pocket foldover cloth pouch for color-coded, student-accessible display.

Created by a Montessori teacher. Eco-printed in our rural New England office.

Made in the USA. CPSIA compliant.

Note: Photos may change from those pictured.

Why do phonetic 3-part cards matter for reading?

Practice makes reading easier, and eventually automatic. Beginning readers want to read, and this format shows them they can. The photos are a scaffold: they help students figure out how to pronounce each label. The control cards let students find and fix their own errors, which is how humans learn best. No teacher correction is required.

How do you use phonetic 3-part cards?

First, make sure the student knows the name of each picture. Use the three-period lesson if needed. Next, lay out the picture cards in a column. The student sounds out each word label and matches it to its picture. Finally, the student places each control card just to the right of its photo and word pair to check for errors and fix them independently. Once students are reading successfully, extend the work with a dictation game: one student reads a control card aloud while another writes the word with the movable alphabet, then they check the spelling with the control card. See our guide to phonetic reading cards for more.

How do these cards relate to the phonetic object box?

These cards work just like the phonetic object box but add a built-in control of error. After your first phonetic object box lessons, move to these cards to keep the reading going while students find and correct their own mistakes.

What should students know before starting?

Students should have solid letter-sound knowledge and experience building words with a movable alphabet. In Montessori, encoding comes before decoding: students spell words before they easily read them.

What ages is this for?

Typically ages 3 to 6, whenever a student can blend sounds. These cards also support:

  • Older students who are beginning to read
  • English learners
  • Students in reading intervention
What comes after Packet 1E?

Students who can read all of Level 1 are ready for Level 2, the blue series, with consonant blends. Find it with all our phonetic 3-part cards. After that, students move on to phonogram 3-part cards.

What is an album badge?

Trained Montessorians select every product in The Shared Environment. If the product fulfills the description in a presentation, it gets an album badge.

Album badges represent the analysis of trained Montessorians and do not indicate endorsement by an accrediting body. The album badging process and symbols are proprietary intellectual property of The Shared Environment.