Language is very important to human
society and individuals as well. People can't not live without communicate with
others in the society, and human civilization can't be continued if human
doesn't use language to conserve the collective thoughts. People use language
to express their feelings, thoughts, ideas and desires... etc. to others, and
to receive information from others. Through language also, we can create love
and hate and all tones in between. Language is more than reading and writing.
Maria Montessori defined:
"language is the expression of agreement among a group of men, and can be
understood only by those who have agreed that special sounds shall represent
special ideas.... It is the instrument of thinking together, and has become
ever more complicated as man's thought grew in complexity... There is nothing
more mysterious than the truth that for any achievement men must come together
and agree, and for this agreement they must use language, the most abstract of
things, a sort of super-intelligence."
Language is the essence of the
development of the child, because it enables him to communicate with others and
to understand when others communicate, and because it is an expression of the
spirit of man. Maria Montessori emphasized that Education is an aid to life,
her method of teaching language is designed on this basis too. When the child
can speak, listen, write and read, he is ready to hold the key of knowledge and
explores the human's civilization by himself! Yet, before he can do it independently,
he needs a guide to explore language first.
The unique of Montessori Education
is it based on observation of the child's development and to meet the needs of
the child. As Maria Montessori observed that the child first is interested with
human's voice, syllables are spoken, then words are spoken of more than one syllable,
then the whole syntax and grammar seem to be grasped, gender and number, case,
tense and mood. He begins this work in the darkness of the subconscious mind,
and here it develops and fixes itself permanently. Though it seems as a
mystery, the child takes a lot of practices to connect the physical and psychic
abilities. Maria Montessori observed that the sensitive period of language is
the longest one which is from birth to age 6:
1. Birth - age 1yr: the child is
sensitive to sounds; listening and watching.
2. Age 1 - age 2yrs: the child is
sensitive to words; begins using simple words.
3. Age 2 - 3 yrs and up: the child's
vocabulary increases tremendously (from approximately 300 to 1000 words).
4. Age 4yrs- this is the sensitive
time for writing.
5. Age 4 and a half to 5yrs - the
child starts to classify words and reading.
6. Age 5 to 6yrs - sensitive to the
study of parts of speech and word usage.
Every period, the child has some
tasks to achieve and thus inner power drives himself learn language toward to
perfection. As a directress in Montessori Classroom, she needs to observe and
follow the needs, interests and sensitivities of the child to provide the help
when he needs. For not interfering the child's unfolding, Montessori emphasized
indirect approach. The indirect approach is a way to prepare the child to gain
the goal in a positive way with self-assurance, self-confidence, then he will
be last a life-long interest in learning! Of course, the teacher plays an
important role if she is a life-long learner, the child will get influence by
her, too.
In Montessori Classroom, the
language is not only a distinct area in the environment but runs parallel with
other activities in the classroom. The environment is designed that all
activities feed naturally toward the development of the skills required for
learning language - writing and reading.
The preparation in the classroom for
this exploration begins with the Practical Life activities. The child develops
the control of movement and eye-hand coordination which will aid him in writing
through working on Practical Life activities, such as pouring rice, scrubbing
table, buttoning frame, polishing objects, etc. Those activities also provide
an understanding of the process and order, help the child develop the span of
concentration and inner discipline. Those aids are continued in Sensorial
Activities, moreover, perceptual abilities, auditory and visual discrimination,
ability to compare and classify are developed in the sensorial area. Besides,
the further muscular refinement, lightness of touch and left to right movement
are trained. All of these is the preparation for writing and reading.
Language development runs
through-out with books, group time activities (songs, finger plays, naming
activities, poems, sound games), conversation as an integral part of the
classroom and vocabulary enrichment (nomenclature of the materials, picture
card matching games). The oral language in a Montessori classroom should be
extensive and exact. It will become a sight vocabulary at a later date. Large
muscle development is incorporated through-out the Montessori curriculum as
well. All these activities are an indirect preparation for writing and reading,
when the child is ready for that work [2].
Afterward, the child is read to
explore sounds of words. All the activities is related to auditory
discrimination and visual discrimination may introduce to the child. When the
teacher is sure the child is aware of the sounds in words, the sandpaper
letters are introduced. The child's visual and tactile-muscular senses are most
sensitive at this time (age app.3 1/2). The child builds a 'muscular
memory" of each letter. As this point, no writing is encouraged--just an
exploration of sound and shape.[3]
When the child knows 8-10 letters, he
is ready for movable alphabet. You may present controlled moveable alphabet
first, or the objects first and pictures later and lead him from simple to
complex, concrete to abstract. In the same time, the metal insets are also
presented which contribute to the development of mechanical writing skills.
Eventually the child begins to write small stories without the movable
alphabet, the child may write as he speak therefore he won't spell correctly
then. Because he is using his own invented spelling based on his own word
analysis. But correct spelling comes easily later. As the teacher she needs to
know not to correct words that child has written for himself according to his
own perceptions, they do this for their won self-expression. The process is
more important than the product.
At the same time, the activities for
reading skills such as the secret box...etc., may present to the child
according to his interesting and needs. A specially reading place with many
interesting books is needed in the classroom. Let the child read selected books
and learning to pronounce the words to enrich the reading experience. The more
writing and reading he does, the more he will realize that writing transmits
thought and giving practice in decoding. When the child completes the
intellectual work of relating spelling to print to transmission of ideas he is
already capable of reading. His oral vocabulary is now his reading vocabulary.
Then the child will be introduced
the function of words and during this time he do reading on his own. Later, he
may start to be present grammar. The child enters the advanced reading level
and may start creative writing.
Language is a process which will go
through life-long, but the first years of life is the formation of the basis of
language. As a teacher, she needs to prepare the environment and the materials
must appeal to the senses that call attention to the child and invite him to
use the materials again and again. Besides as a preparer and observer, she is
also a guider who leads the child very carefully in this exciting discovery
journey.
In Montessori Classroom, it is
expected to be prepared as a free environment that allows the child to the
development of total language. The child can freely to express himself in all
ways and makes the language as an aid of the life. As a teacher should be an
interpreter for the child, help him while he is trying to express himself,
respect what he is, give him key to open the door which the world is closed,
growing in happy and confident!
By Shu Chen Jenny Yen.
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