Collaboration Between Guides and Reading Specialists: What Works?

Bridging the Gap Between Montessori and Structured Literacy

In many Montessori schools, the conversation around literacy is expanding. As more states adopt structured literacy mandates and as Montessori programs commit to ensuring all children become confident readers, collaboration between Montessori guides and reading specialists is becoming essential.

But collaboration isn’t always easy.

Montessori guides and reading interventionists often come from different training backgrounds, with distinct vocabularies, materials, and approaches to assessment. What one calls “phonemic awareness,” another might describe as “sound games.” What one sees as “direct instruction,” another may interpret as “teacher-centered.”

The result? Both educators want the same outcome—children who read with confidence and joy—but they may struggle to find a shared path to get there.

The good news: it’s absolutely possible to bridge these worlds in ways that honor Montessori principles and align with the Science of Reading. Here’s what works.

1. Begin with Shared Purpose

Start the conversation by naming your shared goal: every child is entitled to become a capable, joyful reader.

When collaboration begins from this place of common purpose, it shifts the tone from “defending methods” to “aligning for outcomes.” Montessori guides and specialists can then explore how each perspective contributes to that shared goal:

• Montessori’s hands-on, developmental progression builds conceptual understanding.

• Structured literacy’s systematic and explicit sequence ensures no child misses critical steps.

When both are valued, children benefit from the best of both worlds.

2. Create a Common Language

Terminology often becomes the biggest barrier. Words like “scope and sequence,” “decodable,” or “encoding” may not appear in Montessori albums—but their principles live inside the method.

Build a shared glossary. For example:

• Phonemic Awareness → Montessori Sound Games

• Phonics → Moveable Alphabet, Sandpaper Letters

• Decoding Practice → Phonetic Object Box, Decodable Texts

• Encoding and Writing → Metal Insets to Moveable Alphabet to Writing

Naming the overlaps turns confusion into connection—and invites specialists to see the depth of Montessori’s literacy foundation.

3. Use Data as a Bridge, Not a Weapon

Reading data—like screeners or progress monitoring tools—should inform collaboration, not define it. Specialists can share assessment results in ways that spark curiosity rather than defensiveness.

Instead of saying, “This student is behind,” try:

“The data shows this child is struggling to blend sounds. How does that align with what you’re seeing during word building?”

Montessori guides can then contribute their qualitative observations—attention, stamina, self-correction—so the plan reflects the whole child, not just the score.

4. Align Intervention to Montessori Principles

When specialists work inside a Montessori environment, interventions can respect its rhythm and structure. That might mean:

• Offering short, focused pull-outs instead of removing children during key work periods.

• Using Montessori-aligned materials (e.g., phonogram cards, decodable readers that match the Pink/Blue/Green series).

• Incorporating movement, choice, and independence even in targeted practice.

When intervention honors Montessori’s values, children experience coherence instead of contradiction.

5. Meet Regularly, Even Briefly

A five-minute standing conversation each week can prevent misunderstanding later. Share notes, progress, and what’s working. The goal isn’t lengthy meetings—it’s maintaining alignment.

Some schools establish Literacy Collaboration Logs where guides and specialists record strategies, observations, and next steps in one shared document. This ensures continuity even when staff or schedules change.

6. Celebrate Wins—Together

Nothing builds trust like shared success. When a child makes a breakthrough—reading a first sentence, recognizing a pattern, or choosing to read aloud—acknowledge it as a team.

Joy is contagious. When adults celebrate progress collaboratively, children feel it too.

A Final Thought

The best literacy support doesn’t come from choosing between Montessori and the Science of Reading—it comes from weaving them together.

When guides and specialists collaborate with openness and respect, they model the very thing we hope to teach our students: that learning grows deeper when we listen, adapt, and work together.