Discipline: Language
The language that we use as adults is the creation of the child. Language is the ability to think and is used in a myriad of ways. In the Montessori Primary Environment we firstly aid the development of language through oral. Examples of this spoken work include the reading of stories, songs or conversation. The children must first explore the world of oral language before they explore the written one. Once the child is ready to move on to written language she is shown how to put down her own thoughts into writing. Each child is unique and creates their own specific approach to writing therefore the Montessori Environment reflects this aspect. This is illustrated in the fact that some children might find a whole sheet of paper overwhelming while another finds a small piece of paper to limiting. What is essential however is that the child writes before the reading of another’s thoughts, as this is a difficult task. Again Dr. Montessori devised extraordinary materials that are an aid to the young child. For instance, the Movable Alphabet material is a way in which the children can write before they have acquired the ability to form written letters with the hand.
The sequential keys to Montessori Language are:
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Oral Preparation
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Writing
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Reading
