Modern Montessori Reading SOR Open and Closed Syllable Activities

Help children move beyond guessing words and begin seeing how English words actually work.

Open and closed syllables are two of the most common syllable types in English, but many children are never explicitly taught how to recognise them. Instead, they are expected to “just read the word” or rely on picture clues, memory, or guessing.

This Montessori-inspired Science of Reading resource gives students clear, practical, hands-on practice with open and closed syllables so they can build stronger decoding skills and more confidence as readers.

It is ideal for children who are ready to move beyond CVC words and begin reading longer words with more accuracy.

Why this resource matters

When children understand syllable types, they have a much better chance of decoding unfamiliar words.

They begin to notice that:

• a closed syllable usually has a short vowel sound
• an open syllable often has a long vowel sound
• longer words can be broken into smaller, more manageable parts
• reading is not about guessing — it is about understanding patterns

This is especially important for children who need explicit, structured literacy teaching alongside Montessori-style hands-on work.

What’s included

This printable pack includes:

• Full teacher notes
• Open syllable practice
• Closed syllable practice
• Pseudo word lists for practising vowel sounds
• Clip and flip two-syllable word activities
• Sentence unscramble activities
• Self-checking activities
• Montessori-inspired layout and independent work format

How children use it

Students practise reading syllables, building two-syllable words, matching word parts, and rearranging mixed-up sentences so they make sense.

The clip and flip activities are especially useful for independent work. The child reads the first syllable, chooses the second syllable that completes the word, clips their answer, then flips the card to check.

This gives children practice, repetition, and feedback without needing constant teacher support.

Perfect for

• Montessori literacy shelves
• Science of Reading intervention
• Structured literacy lessons
• Homeschool reading
• Small group phonics work
• Children learning syllable types
• Students moving into multisyllabic words
• Older struggling readers who need explicit decoding support

Created by a Montessori teacher

I’m a Montessori-trained and state-trained teacher in New Zealand. I created the Modern Montessori Reading series to bring together the beauty and independence of Montessori work with current research about how children learn to read.

This resource is designed to feel practical, purposeful, and easy to use — not like another worksheet pile.

Please note: This is a downloadable PDF resource. No physical product will be shipped.

This is part of my Modern Montessori Reading Series - activities based on up to date research on how children learn to read.