Montessori Verb Lesson: A Hands-On Grammar Key Experience

How do you introduce verbs in Montessori in a way that children can actually see and experience? This Montessori verb lesson uses the traditional red grammar sphere to help children discover that verbs are words connected with action and energy.

In Montessori grammar, the verb is represented by a red circle or sphere, symbolising energy and movement. Rather than beginning with a worksheet or a definition to memorise, children explore verbs through a simple hands-on activity involving a red ball. They discover words such as roll, throw, kick and pass, making an abstract grammar concept more concrete.

This lesson is an example of a Montessori grammar key experience: a memorable presentation designed to spark children's curiosity and imagination. It is particularly useful when introducing the verb symbol after children have explored articles, nouns and adjectives, or when revisiting the parts of speech with elementary students.

Below, I'll share how to present this Montessori verb key experience, the materials you'll need and how to use the red sphere to introduce verbs as part of the Montessori language curriculum.

You will need 

- A Black pen, light blue pen, dark blue pen and a red pen

- Small cut up pieces of paper

- A prewritten caption that says 'verb'

- The verb sphere symbol or a ball that is red

 - A selection of objects

Key Experiences are ways of sparking the imagination of the child. They are given to new or younger children or as ways to bring life back to a curriculum area. 

 

1) Gather students

2) Say: 'Today we are going to learn about some types of words. We have already learned about articles, nouns and adjectives. Can you remind me what they are?'

3) Today we are going to do a language activity with this. Present the sphere or red ball. Ask what it looks like (a ball)

4) Say: 'What can you do with a ball' (throw, pass, roll, dribble, kick)

5) Say:' All those things you just said involve energy. You know this ball is red. A bit like how the sun which is a big sphere gives energy to earth. Those words you told me about the ball are called verbs. Verbs are energy or action words. Present the piece of paper that says verb.

6) Gently roll the sphere, wait for it to stop. Say: 'You know what is interesting, you can't see the verbs once they have been done. Hold the ball/sphere. Say 'we don't know that this ball just rolled.' The ball is matter and it was moved by the energy or the action.

7) Place the noun family symbols in front of you. Roll the ball around them. Say 'the verb brings energy to all of these words' 

 

As a simple follow up you can use this FREEBIE. Hand out the cards and the child plays 'charades' performing a verb for others to guess.