In the Montessori classroom, phonics is used to teach reading. The text will explain the process of phonics lessons and the required reading skills at each stage. It will also suggest alternative activities to encourage children’s love for reading. Language is extremely important in our daily lives as it enables us to communicate meaning, express desires, share experiences, and acquire knowledge from others. It is the medium through which we think and learn. Additionally, language plays a crucial role in interpersonal communication, helping build social connections between people.
Maria Montessori believed that language has a crucial role in bringing people together and creating nations, distinguishing humans from other species. She argued that language is not just a means of communication but also a tool for collective thinking and a reflection of super intelligence. Montessori’s educational philosophy centers around two key ideas: the “Absorbent Mind” and “Sensitive Periods.” These concepts are essential to her approach. The first six years of a child’s life are divided into two three-year periods: the initial three years involve unconscious learning, while the following three years involve conscious learning. The child’s emotional and intellectual qualities develop through sensitive periods, which drive them to explore objects and relationships within their environment. Montessori claimed that children possess sharper minds than adults.
During the sensitive period, children between the ages of 0 and 3 years old have the ability to easily acquire skills such as language, sensory discrimination, and processing thoughts about their environment. Their conscious mental state possesses a creative intelligence. This unique capacity for early learning is most influential in children aged 0-3. The child’s mind absorbs information like a sponge and personality development occurs through interactions with their surroundings. This sensitive period continues until the child reaches almost six years old.
During the sensitive period, a child’s focus is centered on one aspect of their environment while disregarding all others. This period is characterized by the child engaging in activities repeatedly and with great fervor. They concentrate on the activity until their sensitivity is fulfilled. Once one sensitivity is satisfied, another one begins. The purpose of each sensitive period is to assist the child in acquiring a specific skill or characteristic for their development. The sensitivity persists for a defined duration and does not recur.
The sensitive periods encompass various developmental milestones such as language acquisition, sensory refinement, mastering movement and walking, cultivating a love for order in the environment, and paying attention to details. It is crucial to note that young children do not require explicit instruction, but they do need assistance in their development. The sensitivity to language emerges early in their lives, as babies start imitating the sounds they hear, including musical melodies and dog barking.
The course manual “Montessori Principles and Philosophy” (pg 35) explains that babies’ inability to imitate certain sounds reveals their sensitivity towards language. Montessori defines the period from birth to three as vital for developing intelligence and psychic faculties. She believes intelligence involves the ability to differentiate and make quick, organized judgments. Unlike animals, humans are not born with fixed behavioral patterns but have the capacity to learn and improve them.
The child mind is often called the “absorbent mind” due to its incredible capacity to effortlessly and unconsciously learn and assimilate from the world around it. This absorption not only involves gaining knowledge from the environment but also integrating it into their own mental being. Through gradual and organic learning processes, children form behavior patterns and acquire adult-like abilities. It is recognized that during a child’s crucial development stages, they absorb a substantial amount of their initial education from their surroundings, encompassing attitudes, language, movements, and behavior.
In the Montessori classroom, the environment is specifically designed to facilitate language acquisition. It is crucial for parents to begin associating verbal meaning with objects in their child’s surroundings at an early stage since they serve as the child’s initial language instructors. Language holds great importance in this educational setting and it is nurtured through various activities that encourage self-expression, lessons, and open dialogue.
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that language is the cornerstone of civilization’s advancement. She recognized that in young children, writing precedes reading and developed a teaching approach centered on this idea. Generally, young children possess the ability to write before they can read. At around three or four years old, they may have some knowledge of certain letters and grasp the concept of word representation. For instance, they might identify the letters ‘o’ and ‘x’ and employ them to construct words using wooden letters or letter cards.
Montessori employed a holistic method for instructing in reading, commencing with writing. Writing permits the transformation of sounds into letters and subsequently enables the reversion of letters into sounds. Nonetheless, this does not qualify as reading. The initial stage in reading entails pronouncing the letters and determining their corresponding sound. This technique is appropriate for all children.
To consider reading as truly reading, it is crucial to be able to recognize words and not just pronounce them. It is advised that children should not be taught how to read and write before the age of six or seven. However, a child with normal intelligence has the potential to learn how to read and write naturally on their own, sometimes even as early as three or four years old, through appropriate materials and sensorial experiences.
Writing aids in the physical development of language, while reading contributes to social language development by understanding ideas from written signs. The progress in writing is closely connected to the advancement of both written and spoken language. The child’s sudden interest in writing is influenced by their unique sensitivity towards language.
This information can be found on page 82 of “The essential Montessori” by Elizabeth Hainstock, published by Penguin Group in May 1986. In a Montessori prepared environment, materials are provided to support this process. The design of the Montessori classroom aims to assist the child in reaching the third period of perception in their language development.
Language learning in a Montessori classroom is unique compared to traditional classrooms because it accommodates individual learning pace. This method empowers children to effortlessly concentrate on mastering crucial language skills. The Montessori Language materials, also referred to as special material, play a significant role in supporting children’s growth in communication, expression, organization, classification, and thought.
Language learning materials for young children are usually colorful and feature child-friendly images such as animals, clowns, and fantasy characters. Each material has its own purpose and is created with specific attributes like texture, color, shape, size, and movement. Manipulation and movement play a crucial role in how children interact with Montessori materials. Children use their fingers and pencils to trace, as well as carry objects, labels, and boxes around the room.
During word building exercises, children will learn letter sounds and create words using large movable alphabets. The language materials used include Oral/Auditory, Word Reading Level, Sentence Reading Level, and the Montessori Three Period Lesson. The objective of the auditory-oral approach is for children to learn spoken language and effectively communicate through verbal means. Additionally, children can utilize lip reading by observing the speaker’s face and mouth. Those following the oral approach are equipped with hearing aids to enhance their speech reading abilities.
The four main components of language are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening and reading facilitate the sharing of ideas, while speaking and writing enable self-expression. In educational settings, activities such as storytelling, reading, finger play, singing songs, reciting poems, and playing naming games are encouraged. Children are introduced to stories about familiar people, famous individuals, and animals’ lives. They have an affinity for rhythmic and rhyming language and frequently learn and recite rhymes and poems.
The I-Spy game is a traditional word game commonly played in classrooms. In this game, students are taught the phonetic approach, which introduces the sounds of letters instead of their names. It also allows them to learn the names of objects in their surroundings, promoting independence and freedom. Once students become familiar with vowel and consonant sounds and letter forms, they can begin writing. However, young children often struggle with pencil control. In Montessori classrooms, this challenge is addressed by using movable alphabets.
The Montessori reading material is categorized into three schemes: the Pink Scheme, the Blue Scheme, and the Green Scheme. These schemes aim to effectively teach English phonics by organizing materials into groups such as short vowel sounds, consonant blends, and phonetic combinations. Through a sequential approach with these materials, children can easily develop proficiency in reading and writing English. Reading ability is essential for education, making it crucial for every child to have this skill. The goal of the Pink Scheme is to offer engaging activities that maintain the child’s interest.
Engaging in activities that involve metal insets helps children improve their pencil-holding and control skills. The Pink Series consists of three-letter words with a consonant at the beginning and end, and a vowel in the middle. All vowels in this series are short: “a” as in “cat”, “e” as in “bed”, “i” as in “pig”, “o” as in “hot”, and “u” as in “bus”. The Blue Scheme uses the same materials as Beginning Reading, but focuses more on longer phonetic words that are color-coded blue.
The words in this collection contain consonant blends, which can be found at the beginning or end of the word, or sometimes both. They are accompanied by a short vowel sound. Some examples of these words are “flag,” “mend,” and “clock.” This extensive variety of materials is designed to provide children with ample opportunities to practice reading phonetic words. To maintain the children’s engagement and foster a sense of progress, the material is presented in various formats. Additionally, as children continue working with a particular set of materials, new materials are introduced to ensure their interest remains high.
The Green Scheme focuses on developing reading fluency through learning about the inconsistencies and characteristics of English. It includes words with major phonemes like “ai,” “ou,” “ie,” and “ow.” Vowel combinations with a consonant in between, such as “a_e” or “i_e,” are also covered. Examples include words like “cake” or “mice.” The scheme addresses challenging aspects of spelling and reading, including silent letters, hard and soft letters, and other concepts.
Maria Montessori states in her book “The Discovery of the Child” (p186) that teaching writing to a child who can already draw is unnecessary because they will naturally start writing.
In a Montessori classroom, children learn how to write before they learn how to read. The Practical Life and Sensorial exercises indirectly prepare their hands for writing. Additionally, the Language area introduces metal insets that help improve pencil control by tracing shapes. The Phonetic Farm game is another tool used in Montessori classrooms which applies color-coding for different parts of speech while teaching grammar concepts.
The Sandpaper letters provide the child with a connection between the sounds they have been learning and a specific sense perception. The activity of using the moveable alphabet helps the child develop skills in building words and analyzing them as a preparation for reading, writing, and spelling. By arranging the letters according to the required sound or picture, the child learns to attend to the stream of sound in spoken language, much like how the movable alphabets assist. Similarly, the movable grammar symbols aid children in analyzing the meaning within written language.
Susan Feez (2010), in her book “Montessori and Early Childhood” (pg 121, Sage publication limited), emphasizes that symbols placed over words aid children in recognizing grammar patterns. The use of engaging activities is essential for cultivating curiosity and motivating children to read. The language environment within the home plays a vital role in preparing children to effectively develop their spoken and written language skills. Hence, clear and accurate communication with children from a young age is crucial.
During the first six years of a child’s life, caregivers play a vital role in shaping their language development. One effective method to emphasize the significance of reading is by reading aloud to children, introducing them to new words and concepts that may not be part of their everyday conversations. To excel in language skills, children require self-assurance in expressing themselves, a willingness to interact with others, real-life experiences as foundations for language abilities, and the physical abilities necessary for reading and writing. From birth onward, we can communicate with children using language that acknowledges their capabilities and encompasses an extensive range of vocabulary.
We can provide an engaging atmosphere that provides various sensory encounters and chances for language growth. This is crucial because language holds significance when connected to actual life experiences. We can serve as role models by showcasing the use of precise language in our everyday interactions with kids. By sharing excellent literature, like rhymes, songs, poetry, and stories, we can nurture a strong passion for language in children. Taking children to libraries and bookstores is vital in demonstrating that the information they discuss and their parents’ actions are present in books.
Do not deprive children of the opportunity to experience books. Once a child leaves the Montessori classroom at the age of six, they will have developed effective communication skills, expressing their emotions through well-structured sentences and writing. They will possess proficient handwriting, enabling them to articulate their thoughts and feelings in various styles and on diverse topics. The child will have attained advanced reading abilities and a deep understanding of their native language, allowing them to effectively convey their thoughts with mastery.
