Grammar Boxes without the Boxes

There was a time before we had the grammar boxes but my son was totally ready for them. 

I have NO images for what we did, but I can describe it! 

I took the images of the grammar boxes from photos taken when I was in classrooms. 

I then diagrammed them all onto posterboard (cardboard would have been better; covered with posterboard perhaps). I then cut little strips of cardboard to glue on as "edges". 

NOTE: the compartments were intentionally made just a bit wider than the cards, but not as tall, so that cards lay at an angle against the back edge. 

The back of each compartment was covered with an appropriately colored piece of construction paper (hint: don't use construction paper - it tends to FADE - I ultimately colored over each one with colored permanent marker). 

I then proceeded as usual with the presentations, except the cards were placed mostly flat within each "compartment" (leaning against the back "edge"). 

Interesting tidbit: the original grammar boxes as imaged in the Advanced Montessori Method book also do not have tilting insides. The compartments were vertical and the card fit in them such that they lay flat against the bottom of the box. If I were to make ours from wood, with my simple scroll saw, I would make ours similar, but with the compartments narrower from front to back, so that the cards tilt against the back of the compartment. I could have made them out of cardboard that way too - but had made the poster boards already; then was gifted with the modern style wood ones.