Language
Language skills are the most important lessons learned in a child’s life. Without the ability to communicate a child would be lost in this world and frustrated by an inability to express themselves. Language is made up of receptive (listening and reading) and expressive (speaking and writing) skills.
While the Montessori classroom designates a specific language area with materials for developing oral language, writing, reading, and creative expression, the entire classroom is also designed to enrich and support language development. Every classroom area possesses opportunities to learn new vocabulary, explore the relationship of words, and encourage rich discussion. As the child begins to read and write he utilizes these new skills to rediscover and expand his classroom experience with materials through out the environment.
The goal of this important curricular area is to nurture the child’s natural interest in language so that he develops a love for reading, learning, and self-expression that can be treasured throughout his entire life.
Metal Insets: Introduction
The purpose of the metal insets is to develop fine motor control, most especially pencil control (i.e., working on pincer grip). In preparation, the child works independently, as in presentation and writing. The child works with different shapes and different colors.
Sandpaper Letters
Maria Montessori developed the sandpaper letters to help children develop muscle memory for the letters and to introduce the letter shapes and letter sounds. They are multi-sensory, which is essential for young children as they are still in a tactile stage of development. The indirect purposes of the sandpaper letters are preparation for reading and writing. The sandpaper letters are an exciting and important material for the children to discover. They love thinking of new words for specific sounds. Once the child has mastered all 26 sounds they begin to write short phonetic words and reading quickly follows.
