Command Cards

Command Cards
Language - Reading
Level	Primary
Age	4
Prerequisites	Bridge to Reading
Materials	cards with action words

In this activity the child reads cards with commands written as single words. The child then acts out the sentence.

Presentations

This activity can be one child alone, but it also works well with two children working together.

Phonetic Word Commands

1. Take the material to a mat or table.
2. The child should take the top word card and read it.
3. The child should then act out the action.
4. Repeat this with the other cards in the stack.

Digraph Word Commands

1. Take the material to a mat or table.
2. next step

Material

Make Your Own

• Phonetic words to use (includes 'ck' and double consonants):

  cut, fan, hop, hug, hum, jog, kiss, nap, nod, run, sit

  bend, clap, drag, drop, dust, grab, grin, hiccup, jump, kick, lift, rest, rock, skip, smell, spin, stand, step, stomp, twist

Command Cards - Phonetic Words

• Digraph words to use (with just Key Sound spellings of digraphs):

  brush, chat, count, crouch, dash, faint, flush, look, march, peek, pinch, play, pout, shut, sing, sleep, squint, sweep, tie, wish

Command Cards - Digraph Words

• Other Digraph words (done after the Key Sound Folders):

  bow, carry, catch, clean, cough, crawl, cry, dance, drink, dry, eat, fold, hide, hold, laugh, lean, leap, pour, push, reach, read, relax, roll, shake, sneak, sneeze, squat, squirm, stretch, talk, think, throw, walk, wash, wave, wiggle, write

Command Cards - Digraph Words After Key Sounds

• It would be nice to put these words on red card-stock or to write them in red to indirectly tie it to the lessons on verbs.
• There are free Command Cards available to print at the blog The Helpful Garden.

Further Reading

• Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-fives by David Gettman, pages 152-153
• Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Pre-School Years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock, page 73, 92