The Phonetic Reading Program from California has been used with thousands of children in many Montessori schools all over the United States. It offers broad selections of skills so that children progress at an encouraging pace along the road to independent reading.
Reading, both as a tool for learning in the content areas and as a source of pleasure, is learned enthusiastically during the early formative years.
The program is designed as a series of boxes (boxes are not included) each of which focuses on an essential beginning phonic skill. The reading boxes contain pictures, words color-coded isolating the skill, and words written in black. The boxes are organized to teach short vowels, blends, consonant digraphs and other consonant skills, long vowel patterns, and other phonics skills.
Teachers are encouraged to allow each child to progress at his or her own rate of speed. For some children, it will not be necessary to work through every reading box. For others, a slower, more methodical pace will be needed. While a knowledge of spelling may be a possible outcome, the main goal of this program is to teach reading skills in a sequential and effective manner.