Montessori Grammar Symbols: Chart, Meanings and Printable

Montessori grammar symbols give each part of speech a shape and a color. A noun is a black triangle, a verb a red circle, an adjective a dark blue triangle. Children place the symbols above the words of a sentence and can see how the sentence is built.

This guide explains all nine symbols, why each shape was chosen, when children usually meet them, the order to present them in, and simple games for home. A free printable chart and cut-out symbols are below.

Quick answer

There are nine symbols, one for each part of speech.
Noun-family symbols are triangles (noun, article, adjective, pronoun). Verb-family symbols are circles (verb, adverb).
Preposition is a green crescent, conjunction a pink bar, interjection a gold keyhole.
Children usually start around 5, once they read simple words, and continue through the elementary years.
Download the free chart with symbols to cut out.

Table of Contents

The Nine Montessori Grammar Symbols

Part of speech	Symbol	Examples
Noun	Large black triangle	tree, Mom, city, idea
Article	Small light blue triangle	a, an, the
Adjective	Medium dark blue triangle	red, tall, soft
Pronoun	Tall, thin purple triangle	he, she, it, they
Verb	Large red circle	run, eat, is
Adverb	Small orange circle	slowly, very, now
Preposition	Green crescent	in, on, under
Conjunction	Small pink bar	and, but, or
Interjection	Gold keyhole	oh, wow, ouch

These colors follow common AMI usage. Some schools and suppliers use slightly different shades, for example a lighter or darker blue for articles. What matters is that your child uses one consistent set.

Why These Shapes and Colors?

Noun, a black pyramid. Seen from the side, the solid pyramid is a triangle. It stands for something stable and concrete, a thing you can name. Black is often explained as the color of coal, one of the oldest materials.
Article and adjective, smaller blue triangles. They belong to the noun family, so they share its shape. The article is the smallest, the adjective a little larger.
Pronoun, a thin purple triangle. It stands in for a noun, so it is a triangle too, but a different one.
Verb, a red sphere. Seen from above, a ball is a circle. A ball rolls and moves, like action and energy. Red is the color of fire and the sun.
Adverb, a small orange circle. It belongs to the verb family and tells how, when or where the action happens.
Preposition, a green crescent. It works like a bridge, showing how two things relate, “the cat under the table.”
Conjunction, a pink bar. It joins words or ideas, like a small link.
Interjection, a gold keyhole. A short word that expresses a feeling, set apart from the rest of the sentence.

When Do Children Learn the Grammar Symbols?

In most Montessori classrooms, children meet the first symbols around age 5, once they can read short phonetic words. The work continues through the elementary years, from about 6 to 9, with the grammar boxes, sentence analysis and more detailed study of each part of speech.

Before the symbols, children play “function of words” games, where they act out words. A child who has carried “the red pencil” and then “a red pencil” already feels the difference between the two articles before seeing a symbol for them.

The Order to Present Them

Noun. Labels on objects in the room, then the black triangle.
Article. “Bring me a pencil” and “bring me the pencil.” What changes?
Adjective. “The red pencil” and “the blue pencil.” The detective game with geometric shapes is a classic.
Verb. Action cards. The child reads “jump” and does it.
Adverb. “Walk slowly,” then “walk quickly.”
Pronoun, preposition, conjunction, interjection. One at a time, each with a game and objects.

Introduce a new symbol only when the previous one is easy. Many children spend weeks on nouns, articles, adjectives and verbs before moving on.

Symbolizing a Sentence

Girl with braids writing in a workbook at a classroom table

Write a short sentence on a strip of paper, read it together, then place a symbol above each word.

Word	Part of speech	Symbol
The	Article	Small light blue triangle
small	Adjective	Dark blue triangle
dog	Noun	Black triangle
ran	Verb	Red circle
quickly	Adverb	Orange circle
under	Preposition	Green crescent
the	Article	Small light blue triangle
table	Noun	Black triangle

Then play with it. Change “small” to “big” and read again. Move “quickly” to the start. Swap “dog” for “it.” Children see that a sentence keeps its shape even when the words change.

Using Grammar Symbols at Home

Start with three. Noun, article and verb make complete little sentences, “the cat runs.”
Use real objects. Short phrases about things your child can hold work better than abstract words.
Keep it a game. Five minutes a day is plenty. Stop while your child still wants more.
Let them write the sentences. Children who are writing often enjoy symbolizing their own words.

Grammar symbols build on earlier language work. See our sandpaper letters guide and moveable alphabet guide, and how Montessori approaches the kindergarten year.

Common Mistakes

Starting too early. The symbols make sense once a child reads the words. Before that, play oral word games.
All nine at once. One symbol, mastered, then the next.
Correcting every placement. Ask “what does this word do?” and let your child decide again.
Worksheets only. Acting out the words is what makes the symbols meaningful.

Free Printable Grammar Symbols Chart

Free printable