In recent years, the “science of reading” has gained attention for its research-based insights into how children learn to read. Grounded in cognitive science, this body of research highlights the importance of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Interestingly, Montessori education has long embraced many of these principles, providing a rich, hands-on foundation for early literacy.
Dr. Angeline Lillard, a leading researcher on Montessori education, emphasizes in Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius that Montessori’s approach aligns with contemporary reading science in key ways. First, Montessori environments introduce phonemic awareness through sensory-rich materials like the Sandpaper Letters, which engage both visual and tactile pathways to reinforce letter-sound associations. Research supports the idea that multi-sensory learning enhances memory and retention—exactly what Montessori has done for over a century.
Moreover, the Moveable Alphabet allows children to encode words before they are formally reading, a process supported by reading science as an effective precursor to decoding. Unlike traditional phonics instruction, which often relies on rote memorization, Montessori’s phonetic approach is embedded in meaningful, child-led exploration. Lillard’s research highlights that this autonomy and hands-on engagement contribute to deeper learning and motivation.
As discussions about the science of reading continue, Montessori educators can take pride in knowing that our approach is deeply aligned with the latest research. By fostering phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and a love for language in a developmentally appropriate way, we are setting children up for literacy success—just as Dr. Maria Montessori envisioned.
research suggests that young children typically need between 4 to 20 meaningful exposures to form a stable connection between a grapheme and its corresponding phoneme.
Studies on orthographic learning indicate that repeated, multi-sensory engagement significantly enhances retention. Montessori’s use of Sandpaper Letters aligns with this research, as it integrates visual (seeing the letter), auditory (hearing the sound), and tactile/kinesthetic (tracing the letter) input, which strengthens neural pathways more efficiently than passive exposure. Dr. Angeline Lillard’s work also supports this, highlighting that active, self-directed learning in Montessori environments fosters deeper and more lasting memory formation.
