Sorting, Literacy: Object Boxes

This is an example of my initial sound object sorting boxes.  We use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  The first time the letter E is presented is with the long E sound, which is why you see an easel, earring, and an evil monster.  I usually use Dollar Tree foam letters for the sorting columns, but I’d lost my letter E and had to use my Montessori sandpaper letters.  Also, you can see I hadn’t quite acquired all the objects I needed so I improvised with things from the pantry:  apricot and italian seasoning.  Pitiful.
Below is another version that I printed out from Home School Creations.
I have these “boxes” grouped in  baggies by three letters at a time in the order presented in the book.  Each week, I retire a few letters and introduce the new ones.  In a Montessori classroom, all of the letters would stay out.  I don’t have room for that, so we just have out the letters we’re working on in Little Kid’s school crate each week and he does them with me.