A Brief Overview of Three-Part Cards
For those unfamiliar with three-part cards, they’re a classic Montessori material designed to support vocabulary development. Children progress through three stages when mastering new words:
- Naming (Stage 1): New vocabulary is introduced using isolated picture cards.
- Associating (Stage 2): The child practices connecting the name with the picture.
- Recalling (Stage 3): The child independently identifies the vocabulary they’ve learned.
*If you’re looking for a detailed guide on how to use three-part cards to give a traditional Montessori language lesson, I have written a step-by-step outline in a separate post (linked here).
Adapting Three-Part Cards to Overcome Language Challenges
I have always had a deep appreciation for three-part cards – they’re such a valuable tool for supporting rich language development. My younger brother had a speech delay until close to the age of 4, and three-part cards have helped us tremendously. His speech delay meant we often spent a lot of time on the naming and association stages when using three-part cards. To invite his attention and sustain his concentration, I would often pair the cards with movement and hands-on exploration. *This post focuses on gross motor activities. I have written a separate post to outline fine motor and sensorial activity ideas (linked here).
20 Activities that Pair Three-Part Cards with Gross Motor Movement
The activities below offer a Montessori-inspired take on multi-sensory learning, emphasising active engagement to support language learning. I hope you find this list helpful!
*If the weather permits, feel free to adjust any suggested activities for outside.
1. Create Distance
Place language cards on a table or mat in another area of the room. Give instructions that combine movement with the new language being learned, such as: “Tiptoe to the other side of the room, pick up the flag of Argentina, and bring it back.”
2. Animal Movement / Thematic Actions
Tie movements to animals or objects on the cards. For example, “Can you pretend to fly like a bird over to that table and find the flag of Brazil?” To further enrich the experience, tailor the movement to relate to the child’s learning topic. For instance, using the previous example, you might instead ask the child to fly like a hyacinth macaw parrot or a blue morpho butterfly, to draw inspiration from South America if the cards relate to that continent.
*When introducing specific actions for animals, ensure the child is familiar with the animals. Even once animals are familiar to the child, pointing to a picture or chart of the animal can provide helpful context for the child when instructing movement.
3. Obstacle Course Challenge
Set up an obstacle course where the child retrieves a card upon completion; you can hang cards at the finish line with a string and pegs for the child to “grab”, or set up different cards for the child to collect along the obstacle course. Challenges can be simple or multi-step. Obstacle courses can be set up outdoors or indoors, in one room or across multiple rooms.
4. Jumping Targets
Place cards on the floor as targets. Call out a card, and have the child jump to the corresponding card. You could also lay the cards on the floor to make a path, and have the child jump and say the card they land on.
5. Toss and Retrieve
Lay the cards out on the floor, ask the child to toss a beanbag near the cards, and have the child retrieve the card closest to where the beanbag lands. Another way to play would be to place the cards inside an emptied toy tub (or any medium and wide basket; you could use a clean laundry, or a storage basket), and let the child (or children, by taking turns) toss the beanbag to try and get it in the basket. When the child “scores”, have them retrieve one of the picture cards to name aloud, along with the beanbag.
6. Simon Says
Lay out all the picture cards and play a movement-based version of “Simon Says” using the cards. For example, “Simon says, hop to the card with the flag of Brazil.”
7. Musical Statues
Play music, when the music stops, the child has to stop like a statue – while the child is a statue, walk over and place a card on or near them (you might put it next to them on the floor, behind them out of sight, in their hands, on their head, on their feet, balanced on their arm / elbow, etc.), place the card depending on the pose the child is in and how silly you would like the game to be), bang a drum / crash a cymbal / hit a triangle – use a noise as a cue for the child to relax from holding their pose, have them bring over the picture card and tell you the name for the picture, turn the music back on to play again. For a simpler game: play music, and when it stops, ask the child to bring you a picture card.
8. Hide-and-Seek Cards
Hide cards around the room. The child searches for a specific card based on a clue you provide. For example, “Find the flag of Colombia in something soft and green.” – verbalise the picture card vocabulary if the child is on the naming phase, your clue can be as descriptive or clear as you like, i.e. “something soft and green” could instead be “cushion”. For the child in the association phase, give your clues without stating the picture card names. You might say something like, “The next card is hidden under your work mat.” Again, your clues can be vague for more of a “hunt” if this engages the child you are working with. You can always offer a second clue if the child gets stuck, or play a version of warmer / colder to help the child narrow down the search area.
9. Balance Challenge
Ask the child to balance a card on their head, hand, or back while walking to a designated spot.
10. Spin and Select
Have the child spin in place or do a specific action (like clapping or jumping) before retrieving the requested card.
11. Movement Dice
Use a large dice with pockets, slot in movement actions (e.g., jump, twirl, or crawl). Have the child roll the dice, then call out a language card with the movement, such as: “Crawl to find the flag of Chile.” For more advanced students, place either the picture cards or word cards in the dice pockets, have them roll the dice and then find the corresponding word card or picture card. Remove the card from the pocket dice, replacing it with a new word / picture card – keep replacing cards until the desired vocabulary cards have been cycled through. If the child is still engaged in the activity, play again with the same or different vocabulary cards for as long as you have the child’s interest.
12. Hopscotch Pick-Up
Lay cards in a hopscotch pattern on the floor. The child hops to the correct card based on your instructions.
13. Climbing Retrieval
Place cards at different heights (e.g., on shelves or walls). The child retrieves them by stretching, climbing, or using a safe stool.
14. Under the Bridge
Build a “bridge” from chairs, cushions, etc. and have the child crawl under to retrieve the cards. Having the bridge “open” and “close” using a blanket may further increase a child’s engagement.
15. Hula Hoop Search
Scatter cards inside hula hoops on the floor. The child jumps into the correct hoop to retrieve the requested card. Don’t worry if you don’t have hula hoops; chalk circles work too.
16. Mirror Movements
Perform a movement or gesture. Ask the child to mirror the action and then retrieve the corresponding card. If they wish, the child can continue to mirror the action while retrieving the corresponding card.
17. Lantern Light Search
In a dim room, provide a torch (flashlight) or lantern for the child to shine to find the requested card.
18. Rolling Retrieval
Lay the cards (picture cards or labels) out on the floor in a sensible arrangement (so the child is likely to make contact with the cards). Ask the child to roll a ball or push a car toward the group of cards. Have them retrieve and name the card the ball or car touches.
19. Skipping Steps
Place the picture cards on the stairs (if available). Have the child skip or climb to pick up the requested card.
20. Walk the Line
Use wide masking tape / painters tape to make lines (straight, zig-zag, or curved) on the floor. Place 1, 2 or 3 picture cards at the end of each line. Ask the child to bring you a particular card, have them “walk the line” to retrieve and bring it back (if the child wishes, they can walk on the same or a different line to come back). Make use of balance beams, sensory pads or stepping stones if you have them.
Finding What Works for Each Child
Observe the child to identify what captures their attention and concentration. Adapt the activity ideas, where you can, to tailor them to the child’s interests and abilities for a more meaningful and engaging learning experience.
I hope that within this list of activity ideas, you are able to find something helpful and beneficial. If you have any activity ideas that have worked well for you in your home / educational setting, I would love to hear them! Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have follow-up questions or need clarification about any of the activities. If you would like to share what activities you get up to, you can email me using the contact page or leave a comment under this blog post.
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