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Language for the MontessoriElementary School

(Revised)

Sister Anne McCarrick

Dottie Feldman

Revised 1984

Copyright 1984 Sr. Anne McCarrick

Used by SeacoastCenter with permission

Based on the 1973-74 course given at the InternationalCenter for Montessori Studies – Bergamo, Italy

LANGUAGE INDEX

PAGE

Introduction

History of the Development of Language

Section A

CHAPTER I – WRITING & READING: A Global View

Metal Insects

Sandpaper Letters

Sandpaper Wall charts

Movable Alphabet

The Development of Writing

Development of Writing as Composition

Content

Nomenclature

Dialogue

Development of Writing as Spelling

CHAPTER II – THE MECHANICAL SKILLS OF READING

Phonetic

Movable Alphabet

Parallel Matching Exercises

Secret Boxes

Phonograms

Overview Exercises

Advanced Movable Alphabets

Phonogram Booklets

Phonogram Lists:

Dictation Chart

Advanced Dictation Charts

Non-Phonetic

Sight Words

Labeling Objects in Environment

Word Bank

LANGUAGE INDEXPAGE

Section B – THE STUDY OF READING

Introduction

CHAPTER III – READING WORDS

Simple Nomenclature

Exercises for Correct Expression

Homes of Animals

Voices of Animals

Groups of Animals

One Action – One Object

CHAPTER IV – A STUDY OF WORDS

Spelling

Dictation Charts

Advanced Dictation Charts

Compound Words

Prefixes

Root Words

Suffixes

Word Families

Homophones

Synonyms

Antonyms

Contractions

Syllabication

CHAPTER V – COMPREHENSION: From Reading Words to Reading Sentences

Secret Boxes

Commands

Single Word Phonetic

Short Sentence Phonetic

Phonogram

Simple Sentence/Simple Actions

Two Actions

Three or More Actions

Reading First Books

Classified Nomenclature

Interpretative Reading

LANGUAGE INDEXPAGE

CHAPTER VI – PUNCTUATION

The Question

Two Movable Alphabets

Exercise to Distinguish Question Form

Non-Question

The Period (Full Stop)

Capital Letters

Abbreviations

Commas

Quotation Marks

CHAPTER VII – GRAMMAR AS A HELP TO READING

The Function of Words

Noun

Article

Definite; Indefinite

Plural

Adjective

Logical Agreement

Quality and An Object

Several Objects – Many Questions

Verb

Distinction Between Energy and Matter

Logical Agreement

One Verb One Noun

One Verb Many Nouns

Intuition: Transitive; Intransitive

Present; Past

Present; Past; Future

Action When Mental

Being

Preposition

Adverb

Logical Agreement

One Verb One Adverb

One Verb Many Adverbs

Pronoun

Conjunction – As Part of a Series

Interjection

LANGUAGE INDEXPAGE

CHAPTER VIII – GRAMMAR AS A FURTHER HELP TO READING

HELP TO WRITING

Grammar Boxes

Noun

Commands for the Adjective

Adjective

Commands for the Verb

Verb

Commands for the Preposition

Preposition

Commands for the Adverb

Adverb

Commands for the Pronoun

Pronoun

Commands for the Conjunction

Conjunction

Interjection

Section C – Sentence Analysis

CHAPTER IX – ORAL GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

The Clown Game

Hunting The Action

Direct Preparation for Sentence Analysis

Five Cases of Sentences Containing a Single Action

Intuition of Terms: Subject, Direct Object

Who is it that?

What is it that?

Whom? What?

CHAPTER X – SENTENCE ANALYSIS: FROM ANALYSIS OF READING

TO SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION TO LOGICAL ANALYSIS

Level I – Introduction

Implementing Reading Analysis

Five Cases of Sentences Containing Single Action:

First Box

Implementing Sentence Construction;

Second Box

Introduction to Concept of Logical Analysis

Logical Analysis; Third Box

LANGUAGE INDEXPAGE

CHAPTER XI – SENTENCE ANALYSIS: LEVEL II

Indirect Object – Intuition

To Whom? To What?

For Whom? For What?

Adverbial Extensions (Phrases)

Notes on the Second Box

The Third Box

APPENDIX: Language Curriculum Related to Developmental

Characteristics of the Elementary Child

LANGUAGE

Introduction to Language in General

The best age to introduce children to written language is four years. Six year old children should already possess written language. This is a theory for which Dr. Montessori has been greatly criticized, because at the time she articulated it, educators and psychologists did not believe in early learning. It was a generally held theory that children younger than six should not be forced to work with their minds. To this theory, Dr. Montessori replied by questioning how it is that a two year old talks, if children younger than six are not supposed to work with their minds. She also made the observation that it is fortunate that the young child did not have to depend on the educator and psychologist to learn to talk, because if they followed their theory to its logical conclusion, the child would not talk before age six. Over the past few years, however, there has developed a growing interest in early learning on the part of many educators and psychologists. How much of this interest can be attributed to the influence of Dr. Montessori, it is impossible to know. Undoubtedly some of these scientists have been affected by her writings. It is obvious from their writings that they have done what Maria Montessori had done before them. They have studied the young child and they are beginning to make the same conclusions with regard to early learning that Dr. Montessori has made.

In her studies, Dr. Montessori also notes that the mechanics of writing and reading have been confused with culture. However, reading and writing are separate from culture. Through writing, people represent with symbols what they say with their voices. Putting their language into symbols is mechanical and should be treated thus by the teacher. Culture is a part of the children’s lives and writing is a mechanical skill through which they reflect this culture.

Dr. Montessori says that it is remedial to try to teach older children how to read and write after they have passed the sensitive period for language, which is from 0 to 6. However, the Montessori method is a help to life, so it must be possible to help children at any age. Dr. Montessori was so convinced that life can be helped at any age that she created a method to teach adults to read.

In order to help the six year old, we must remember that the six year old is different from the younger child. There are three important psychological considerations we must keep in mind when dealing with the six year old:

  1. The six year old is characterized by a vivid, constructive imagination to which the teacher must appeal in every possible way.
  1. Six year old children are aware that they must go to school, that they must learn to read and write. Many children are frightened at this prospect and need mush reassurance from the teacher.
  1. Six year olds are interested in what is happening in the world. The teacher must help them to realize the necessity of learning to read in order to learn about the world.

In order to strike the child’s imagination, we begin with a general lesson, first in spoken language, then in written.

Introduction to Spoken Language

Ask the children what they think appeared first, language (words) or humans. It is quite possible that their response will be that words came first, because this is their experience. It is hard for them to imagine people without words. Explain to them that at first there was no spoken language, that in fact humanity appeared before language and that words were created by people.

Then ask the children how they think a human being said the first word. This is a mystery which no one can answer with complete assurance. Perhaps the first word was formed because of great anger – or great fear – or great joy. We know that words were created by people and that each group formed its own language.

After this discussion of the origin or words, give the children several words typical of their language which seem in their resonances to have the character of the idea they convey. For example: wind, sleet, crack, snap. Perhaps the child will be able to add words of their own.

It is important to help the children realize that language is the fruit of human emotions, the expression of human sentiments. Make two word lists for the children. In one list, write words that express emotions; in the other, write scientific words. By comparing the two lists, the children will find that the scientific words are very cold, they express facts, they usually come from Latin or Greek and they have been created to give names to discoveries. They do not express feeling, because they were not created in a moment of great emotion, but in a completely intellectual situation.

It is important to introduce the children to the greatness of language, with love and reverence for human effort to create it. Even today, in order to understand one another, it is necessary for people to study various languages. One of the reasons for difficulties among peoples is their inability to understand one another’s language. To emphasize this fact, conclude our discussion with the story of the tower of Babel.

Introduction to Written Language

Begin the lesson by discussing with the children the fact that today there are many books, but that before the development of written language there were no books. This may be quite a new concept for the children, as they have access to so many beautiful books. This concept should help to awaken their interest in books and their appreciation of them.

Before the appearance of written language, people could speak but they had no way to preserve their ideas. The capacity to communicate by means of the spoken word is limited in time and space, but what one writes has the possibility to remain even after death. For example, there is no precise information regarding history prior to the development of written language; there is legend, that which humanity has passed on from age to age by word of mouth. Legend disappeared and history began when people learned to write. Just as with the origin of spoken language, we do not know precisely how written language began. Perhaps the written word was born when a group of people found it necessary to communicate to one another the presence of danger, i.e., beasts, enemies, etc., in situations where it was necessary to leave a message for those who would follow them.

Although we do not know its origin, we do know that early peoples had the need to communicate with others by means other than the voice. Some examples of these attempts have been found by archeologists, and they give us some indications of how written language developed. The first messages were written by means of simple drawings which gradually became more complex, then became more abstract until finally the written word was formed. At first, each figure in the message represented one word. Later, each figure in the message represented one idea: several words, a phrase or sentence. Then the pictures because more abstract, for example, the use of a stick to represent a person. The terms which archeologists have given to this type of message is pictography or ideography.

Later, the more abstract pictures cam closer to being phonetic, that is, people began to place together pictures for various sounds, which together formed a word. Two forms of writing which came close to being phonetic were the cuneiform and hieroglyphics. The cuneiform was a cone-shaped writing which was developed by the Sumarians and hieroglyphics were drawings developed by the Egyptians. Each of these peoples passed through the stages of pictographic writing before arriving at the type of writing characteristic of their civilization.

This type of writing lasted for ages; the alphabet came much later. The alphabet was invented by the Phoenicians, who as great merchants had a pressing need for an efficient means of written communication.

The history of the alphabet is called the story of the ox and the house. It has this strange name because, in the final stages of pictography, these symbols were used:

  • ** represented an ox head with the horns hanging down, and the spoken word for ox was Aleph.
  • ** represented a small house with a circular path, and the spoken word for house was Beth.

In the development of the alphabet, the first symbol was the one used to represent ox and the second was the one used to represent house.

(** represents a diagram was here)
SECTION A

CHAPTER I – WRITING AND READING: A Global View

The concept of writing before reading is well documented in any consideration of the Children’s House experience. Thus, when we begin to study the language experience of the child embarking on a new plane of development, “childhood,” we neither dismiss the concept of writing before reading nor the materials that promote writing and reading; sandpaper letters and the movable alphabet. When we consider the child, however, we discover the tactile delight in the sandpaper letters diminishes and disappears after six years old, which the types, designs and uses of the movable alphabet increase, if they are understood by the teacher.

Thus in presenting an elementary language curriculum, the organization of materials which promote both writing and reading, and the acquisition of a deeper understanding of each, becomes a more complex task. The organization of a textbook is equally complex.

The Organization of This Book

To remain consistent in fostering the concept of writing before reading, “Activities for the Development of Writing” which follow are discussed and described first in a somewhat cursory manner. Later the topics are reconsidered in greater detail without the emphasis on writing before reading. Understanding this organization should help diminish any sense of overlapping or repetition.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING

  1. Introduction to writing
  2. Perfecting writing by means of three separate and distinct aspects of the writing process:
  3. Penmanship
  4. Composition
  5. Spelling.

Note: Indirect preparation for writing done in Children’s House is not applicable at six years.

Materials used in the Development of Writing

For writing only:

  1. Metal Insets
  2. Wall Charts of Letters of the Alphabet – in Sandpaper

For Writing and Reading

  1. Sandpaper Letters
  2. Movable Alphabet

The child must overcome motor and intellectual difficulties in the development of writing. Appropriate use of metal insets helps the learner overcome motor difficulties. Sandpaper letters which are very useful before six, influence motor skills and intellectual difficulties less significantly after six. The movable alphabet when used to its fullest potential serves the learner in overcoming intellectual difficulties.

METAL INSETS

Material:

  • Ten geometric plane figures made in metal, a blue inset and a pink frame for each, and all having a base of 10 centimeters.
  • A cardboard mat, larger than the frame of the inset, and covered with contact paper.
  • Paper cut exactly the same size as the frame. Colored pencils and a pencil holder.

Presentation

  • Ask the child to bring an inset and the frame to the table.
  • Bring also the mat, paper and pencils.
  • Place the paper on the mat directly in front of you and place the frame on the paper exactly.
  • Choose a colored pencil and trace around the inside of the frame, making the figure. Remove the frame and show the child the figure you have formed. Carefully place the inset exactly on the pencil outline and trace around it, using the same or a different color.
  • Remove the inset and show the figure to the child.
  • Take another pencil and make straight lines in one of the patterns shown below.

The two directions given to the child are: to stay within the contour of the figure and to raise the writing hand after each stroke. This is not drawing. Rather it is a line design which is important for the development of motor control. Thus the child’s writing hand must be raised after each stroke.

At the Children’s House and for the first presentation at the elementary level, the child is given a small paper, described above. Later, the size of the paper is enlarged to promote larger designs.

Direct Aim

  1. To promote hand coordination and control of the pencil.
  2. To make it easier for the child to write, through development of ease in making straight and curved lines.

The use of a controlled medium for producing straight and curved lines, and color for interest, writing is made easier and more inviting to the child. The analysis of strokes, inherent in metal inset work, demonstrates the basic elements of manuscript writing.

SANDPAPER LETTERS

Material:

  • The letters of the alphabet, lower case, manuscript or cursive, mounted on individual boards. The vowels are mounted on blue boards and the consonants on pink.
  • A wooden box for these letters.
  • Wall charts on which the letters are placed on lines.

Presentation

In the Children’s House, only three letters are presented at a time, but in the elementary five or six letters may be used with each lesson. Many children who do not come from the Children’s House will know some of the letters. Initial activities will help the teacher discover which ones need to be learned. Take one of the letters, for example, a, and trace it with the index and second fingers of your right hand, holding the board steady with your left hand. Say the sound of the letter as you do so. Allow the child to trace the letter.