Montessori studied infants speech patterns and concluded that this was an important sensitive period of development. Baby Talk: Infants Have Much to Say shows the interplay between a parent’s instinct to talk to baby at the baby’s particular stage of development.
Question: How does Montessori teach language analysis? (Teaching language skills including writing and reading)
Language introduction first begins at home with parents. When parents speak to their babies and read to them, they are enriching the sensitive period for language. Babies learn structure and grammar from early encounters with language.
The richer the language experiences usually the better children can comprehend reading.
In a Montessori classroom reading analysis starts with the 3 period lesson, especially when introducing vocabulary using the sensorial equipment.
For example, you introduce degrees of words with the pink tower. You teach words to describe the smallest to the largest cube, words such as small, smaller and smallest. Other word concepts, such as rough and smooth, color shades and weight differences, are examples of concrete activities that prepare for reading analysis. The alphabet material introduces more abstract reading comprehension. Writing sentences with moveable alphabet is a first step for reading analysis. At this time parts of speech are introduced with grammar symbols. These parts of speech symbols help students to understand the rules of grammar.
Grammar is an essential part of reading analysis for the Montessori method. Montessori also uses labels, 3 part cards and nomenclature cards to build vocabulary and reading comprehension.
The main element of reading analysis is writing and grammar. Writing is a building block to accurate reading comprehension. Students are introduced to etymology, prefixes, suffixes, antonyms, homonyms, synonyms and so on.
Many Montessori schools diagram sentences to help with reading and writing analysis.
Writing skills advance to produce certain types of essays. For example, the 5 paragraph essay is used in most schools. The paper has a clear voice, there is a thesis that includes all or some of the “5 Ws”-who or by whom, what, when, where & how.
Writing a thesis, a body of information and a conclusion helps students with reading analysis.
Breaking down an essay or written work using the 5 Ws helps even younger students to analyze the material. Also, you can demonstrate a single sentence’s action by using the 5 Ws.
Montessori bases advanced reading comprehension on grammar, entomology and most of all, writing.
Young children learn how to recognize patterns, sizes and shapes visually. The sequence of sizes, shapes and patterns in a series is important for reading and mathematical skills. Some work that helps develop visual language are matching pictures according to size and pattern, memory matching games, stringing beads, hand work, painting and drawing. As in most Montessori lessons it is important to work from left to right or according to the pattern of reading in your culture.
Printout two of these sorting games at montessorimom.com
Older Children can sort sizes without the matching board for a more challenging lesson.. This helps with logic, spatial relations, reading and math readiness.