09 Mar. 10
Assignment #2 Question 3a. It is extremely difficult for an adult who is conscious of having learned incorrect speech patterns in childhood to purposefully change them. Speech patterns are formed before the age of five; therefore, it is extremely important to model correct speech in the classroom. How would you provide for a rich spoken language experience for children in the classroom?
Dr Montessori said, “To talk is in the nature of man.” Humans needed language in order to communicate. ‘Speech is not a mechanical, auditory-motor process; it is a vitally determined inner development”. In order to learn to speak and understand, the child must be able to listen to people speaking both to him and to each other. The more conversation he hears the more easily he will learn to speak.
When the child arrives in a Montessori classroom, he already has a completion of the spoken language. During his first three years of life, the child has been constructing his language and now, in the Montessori classroom, he will be consolidating what he knows. Because the child's will is being constructed, he can consciously begin to explore language. This is the perfect time for the child to gain the correct tools in his home language. We need to emphasize the child’s organization and daily routine because the surroundings are related directly to how the mind becomes ordered or disordered.
To teach the child correct oral language, Dr Montessori split the learning into two groups:
First: The Enrichment of Vocabulary
In these activities, the child learns new words on a daily basis through formal lessons and classified groups. From the first day the child enters the classroom, language lessons must be given to him. As you teach the children the language for the objects in their environment, they will not only gain vocabulary, but the new children will be helped in the orientation of their new environment.
Second: Language Training
In these Exercises, the child experiences a great variety of language experiences. He learns through the many forms of literature, Exercises in self-expression, and games to learn the grammar of the language. For example, the directress can invite the child to say about their feeling, to talk about today climate, introduce family member, etc.
Through both of these groups of Exercises, by recognition of words, it will be facilitated the child's later learning in reading. Therefore this foundation is vital important for all other language expressions. Children will gain clarity in speech, a large expansion of vocabulary, a familiarity in various aspects of language such as correct usage of the language, artistic expression, a large range of language, awareness of the language structure, and most importantly an appreciation and enjoyment of language. Through all of the Exercises, the child is also being indirectly prepared for the written language work of creative writing and later, total reading. We can share good literature, in the form of rhymes, songs, poetry and stories we will greatly increase the child's love of language.
In the Oral Language lessons, two categories of materials are used from the classroom to aid the child's learning:
(A) Introduce all object and facilities in the classroom/environment.
(B) Montessori Training Materials, such as “The Sandpaper”, “The Moveable Alphabet”, “Classified Cards”. The directress as a language model and a source for learning, it is important to practice these lessons on a daily basis with every child in the class.
Presentation 1: Objects of the Environment
Materials: The objects of the environment such as chair, table, crayon, pencil, paper, lamp
Purpose: Child can learns language directly connected to the real world.
i) The directress can introduce object where can obtain in the classroom.
ii) Begin with very broad classifications and then later can move to sub-classifications.
iii) Work from simple to more complex groups of vocabulary.
iv) Makes sure that experience precedes vocabulary and pictures of objects.
v) Directress may introduce real chair before chair printed cards
vi) Show the real actions before verb cards, i.e. Ask the child “Sit on the chair”
vii) Play a real music before composer picture and labels
viii) Give the opportunity to every child to handle those objects and to learn the names. In this way the child learns that language is connected to the real world.
ix) Every lesson should be done formally in a Three Period Lesson
Presentation 2: The Sensorial Materials
1. For language lessons on the Sensorial Materials, refer to the sensorial album
2. The Three Period Lesson gives the child the qualities of the matter and some specific expressions of these. Some will be nouns, and some will be adjectives (with their degrees)
3. The child is given the language lessons after he has worked thoroughly with the material, after he understands the material fully, and is at a point where he has lost some interest in the material.
Presentation 3: Classified Cards and Nomenclature Cards
i) Collections of Classified Nomenclature cards.
ii) Illustrating geographical, geometrical, biological, and other scientific terms.
iii) Have about 200 sets of cards that you will change regularly and frequently if needed.
iv) You will teach the names of each subject and talk about the information informally.
Presentation 4: The Vocabulary of Social Relations
i) Refer to the Practical Life Album for Grace and Courtesy lessons.
ii) Need to done in small groups
iii) The directress first demonstrates the term being taught and acts it out.
iv) It is like a little drama that the child is invited to repeat.
v) This lessons should be always practice because child’s vocabulary should always be expanding
Purpose: a) Direct – to enlarge the child’s vocabulary and to help in the classification of the environment
b) Indirect - preparation for other cultural studies
We not used baby talk to child, but with respect and with a rich vocabulary. We can set an example and model precise language in our everyday activities with the child.
Step 1: Spoken Language: create an internal dictionary and practice using the words in it
Step 2: Phonetic Awareness: learn the sounds within words and the sounds/symbols of our alphabet
Step 3: Creating Words (Writing): learn to put those sounds/symbols together to make words
Step 4: Reading: Learn to decode those sounds/symbols to decipher words
Step 1: Spoken Language:
Words can be absorbed effortlessly as child goes about their daily life. There are few simple things we can adapt the child’s needs:
* Repeat new words when they are introduced (e.g., this is a spoon, a spoon)
* Annunciate carefully and speak slowly, at the child’s pace
* Allow the child to sense your breath as you speak (i.e., the child’s face or hands are near enough to your mouth that they have a tactile sensation of how much air leaves your mouth for different sounds)
* Use the 3-period lesson to teach specific terms
The 3-Period Lesson.
We can use the 3-period lesson to directly teach specific vocabulary for everything in the
classroom. We use real objects, photos/illustrations, and miniatures to facilitate this. For example, on the first day the 3 years old child walk in the classroom, hereinafter we introduce:
First Period Lesson: (step of providing objects)
o We touch the table and say, “this is the table, table”
o We touch the chair and say, “this is chair, chair”
o We touch the mat and say, “this is mat, mat”
Second Period Lesson: (identify the objects name)
* We may say, “Can you point to the table?”
* “Can you sit on the chair?”
* “Can you roll up the mat?”
* It is during this second period that most learning takes place. This is when the child’s body and mind are simultaneously engaged. So we must spend time here, before moving on to Period 3.
Third Period Lesson:
* We point to each object in turn and ask, “What is this?”
* This is the most challenging part of the lesson because the child needs to find the correct word from all of the hundreds or thousands of words he/she knows. This is much more difficult than pointing to the right object when the vocabulary is provided and there are limited objects from which to choose.
Step 2: Phonetic Awareness
2.1) The Montessori approach teaches need to teaches phonetics first, because 50% of our language is phonetic.
· Begin by teaching the child phonetic rules.
· We teach them the sounds of each letter and of key phonograms.
· encourage child to build phonetic words
· When they are ready, read phonetic words.
· Builds the child’s confidence.
· It lays out the patterns of English and the rules.
· Gives child opportunities to practice applying those rules.
· Practice hearing the sounds in words.
· Saying the sounds of each letter, writing letters, using those letters to build words, and reading phonetic words.
· Once the child has confidence, and can crack the code of English, we slowly reveal
the non-phonetic half of English, the words that don’t follow any rules at all.
2.2) The Sounds of Language
Phonetic awareness begins with the child’s knowledge of sounds. Practice with “The Sound Cylinder” may help the child catch and distinguish every letter sound. The child must be able to hear the sounds in words too. We can help children hear individual sounds by:
· Annunciating slowly and carefully
· Encouraging the children to speak and pronounce words
· Repeating new words
· Singing songs
· Reading books
· Reciting poetry
· Playing sound games like I Spy
2.3) The Symbols of Language
In Montessori classrooms, there are two primary pedagogical materials used to teach children the sounds that each letter makes and how you can put those letters/sounds together to create words:
i) The sandpaper letters
This exercise allows children to physically trace the shape of each letter while they say its sound, NOT its name.
ii) Movable alphabet
It allows children to put those symbols/sounds together to create words even before their hand can hold a pencil.
How to introduce a concrete language?
1) Introduce to children the sounds and symbols of our language.
2) Demonstrate that spoken language can directly link to written or printed language.
3) Practice daily with The Sandpaper Letters and Movable Alphabet
4) Teach the children associate the sound with symbol
5) Allow opportunities and inspiration to practice using that knowledge in life.
Step 3: Creating Words (Writing)
3.1) Before the child can write with hand, they must be able to build words in the mind. This is the intellectual component of writing. The little child has ability to put letters together to create a word before the hand is able to hold a pencil. In order to create words in the mind, the child needs:
1. Self confidence
2. An organized mind (so he can express himself logically)
3. Knowledge of words to form complete sentences
4. Phonetic Awareness
· Knowledge of sounds
· The ability to recognize sounds in words
· The ability to recognize the symbols that correspond to different sounds/associating the sounds with symbols
· The ability to link letters together to make words
5. The desire to write
3.2) The Desire to Write
When the child understands the sounds and symbols of his language, they need to have internally motivated to achieve the progress. The child must have a desire to write. We can require him to complete worksheets or write assigned words.
The directress must always observe and record the child’s progress, such as:
How the child used the material and with what attitude
- How long the child use it
- What do they say?
- What make them interests?
- How many time and what do they repeat?
- Can the child be aware of self-error control?
There are no written exams given to the young children. We do not quiz
them or ask them to perform on command. Instead, we teach them what we can, tirelessly and joyfully give lessons on how to use the materials in the classroom.
When the intellectual requirements of writing are met, the children will be very interested in using tools like the movable alphabet to put into concrete form the words that come from their lips. For example, in the morning, the child very excitedly to show you about their new school beg. We can respond in this way:
1. The directress need to be very interested in hearing this
2. We need to create a motive to the child to use movable alphabet
3. We can respond politely “ I would love to hear more about your beg but I’m busy at this moment”
4. Encourage the child to write down a note with movable alphabet knowledge
5. The directress must follow up with the child by saying “Come back to me when its ready for me to read
Step 4: Reading
99% of written language is in lower case letters, the directress will be doing the child a favor to begin with these ("a" and "b," not "A" and "B"), and with the sounds instead of the names of the letters. Once the child’s needs for verbal language, for phonetic awareness, and for writing have been met, the child can reads his first word. Just like an infant making his first steps the child had his own timetable to start reading. Once they read their first words, they generally don’t want to stop reading.
Just like my 3 years old daughter, Allyson can pretend reading a storybook to her young sister. More over she able to create her own story using her imagination. Allyson also can sing the Nursery rhymes by read the title and lyric in the book. Thru “The Sound Cylinder” hearing training, Allyson can point out and correct my pronouncing like “d” and “t”. Piano teacher very impressive with Allyson have the ability to catch the pitch in age of 3 and half.
Dr Montessori called “Total Reading” is help the children become masters of the spoken and written word. The children not only able to read and understand the words but can realize their own voice to trust in it, have self-confidence. Work thru all Montessori training, it helps of developing the child's full potential.
((Thank you for an excellent answer. We want to give the young child a rich and descriptive language to help them build a vocabulary. The young child will use the words they know and if we expose her to many words at a young age, this child will be able to understand reading and writing with greater ease. Judilyn))
Question 3b. However, we limit language during material presentations. Give the practical reason for this.
Dr Maria Montessori said: a quote from The Montessori Method –Chapter VI
“The child not only needs something interesting to do, but also likes to be shown exactly how to do it. Precision is found to attract him deeply, and this it is that keeps him at work.”
“The lesson must be presented in such a way that the personality of the teacher shall disappear. There shall remain in evidence only the object to which she wishes to call the attention of the child.”
“The lesson corresponds to an experiment.” Teacher need to introducing a lesson at the right moment requires sensitivity and experience.
“In such a delicate task, a great art must suggest the moment, and limit the intervention, in order that we shall arouse no perturbation, cause no deviation, but rather that we shall help the soul which is coming into the fullness of life, and which shall live from its own forces.”
“The lesson must be presented in such a way that the personality of the teacher shall disappear. There shall remain in evidence only the object to which she wishes to call the attention of the child.”
Practical example for the teacher is to introduce the geometric insets showing the different between a “triangle” and a “square”.
Presentation 1:
- Teacher said “Today I going to introduce you the triangle and square”
- "Watch me carefully, when you are ready, you can join me”
- Simply take the triangle of wood, use finger to feel the line and corners, then fit into the empty spaces made, without saying anything
- Take the square of wood, use finger to feel every line and corners, then fit into the empty square spaces made
- Now you can work with this material as many times as you can, but remember to put it back to the shelves after you finish
Note: In this presentation 1, the teacher was simply to fit a square and triangle of wood into the empty frames. The objective of this task is to recognize the form of two geometric. It is Brevity, simplicity and objectivity
Presentation 2:
The teacher was taken out a “Square” of wood, she shown the children how to follow with his finger the contours of the wooden pieces and fit to the frames. Saying meanwhile, “This is a square-, this is a triangle”
- The teacher called upon the child touch the square, saying, “Please use your finger and count together with me. This is a line, another, another, and another. There are four lines, we name it square”
- The teacher invite the child touch the frames and say, “Use your finger feel and count the corners. See, there are four corners too. Look at this piece well. It is a square”
- Teacher repeated the same step to introduce triangle to children too.
Note: When teacher using a lot of language to in this presentation, it will very different. Because the teacher giving the child an idea of sides, of angles, and of number for the two geometric. The elaborate explanations will confused the child’s mind, between the concrete and abstract, between the form of an object and mathematics of the form.
Dante Inferno, in Canto X “Let all thy words be counted”
Dr Montessori said ”The fewer words, the more perfect the lesson”
The Characteristics of the individual Fundamental Lesson are:
Precision, Orderly Presentation, Brevity, Simplicity, and Objectivity
- In presenting the material, the fewer the words the better because words are not always necessary in a lesson.
- Teacher must not lose herself in vain words and conciseness
- No elaborations or extras, should focus on one simple truth – the nature of the materials
- First phase: words represents concepts, therefore the development of concepts has to come first
- Second phase: After the concepts, language will be introducing in the teaching.
- Language will becomes distracting and confusing when the process is reversed and language is introduced during the first phase of learning
- Children have a hard time focusing on language and a lesson at the same time.
- Avoid unnecessary movements or distractions and to make the lesson as simple, direct, concise and to the point as possible.
- Teacher shall observe and understood the liberty of the child
- The directress use very limit language during material presentations because need to learn using all 5 sense apparatus
- The child can have good perception working with all senses.
Question 4. In the first stage of development, describe the unconscious and conscious phases of the Absorbent Mind. What implications does this have for absorbing culture?
During unconscious period from 0-3 years, children’s mind work rapidly to absorb everything from his environment without effort and will, there is a creation of faculties. This is the way he accumulates the materials in later build up his conscious life. When the child begins to move, his absorbent mind has already taken in the world unconsciously. Yet he starting to move, he becomes conscious, there is a further development of the faculties so created and constructed. When a child able to use his hands manipulating something, his subconscious mind had already experience of objects in his environment and then passes gradually from the unconscious to the conscious.
“We must bring the world to the young child”. By saying this, Maria Montessori asks the directress to prepare the environment so the child can explore what man has discovered and has created for it. Through these explorations, the child constructs himself. This occurs in a social and cultural context, both at home and at school. By living with his home people, participating in the daily life, and by exploring the culture of his people, the child makes a complete adaptation to his culture by the age of six.
Education is not something, which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process, which develops spontaneously in the human being. There were two groups of facts:
Movement: Children mind can acquire culture at earlier age, there taking a knowledge thru activity in movement.
Action: The child can learn at this age thru action, s/he has to do something to develops inner unfolding self. It is relate to character formation
All children are endowed with “absorb” culture, culture can be acquired without effort. Child can absorb far more than reading and writing : botany, zoology, mathematics, geography and with the same ease, spontaneously and without getting tired. Children can take in of culture by means of spontaneous activity. They have special interest with things rendered familiar to then (thru absorption) in unconscious period. They have great focus in their minds. Nature grants the child of learning to write, they can learn with joy and enthusiasm. This explosion into writing is connected with sensitivity for language when began to speak. Therefore Dr Montessori carefully designed apparatus to practice and stimulate the child’s sensorial.
We should start our first direct teaching of language with grammar to help the child master perfectly the spoken language during absorbing period. In the first period (0-3) the acquisition of grammatical form was unconscious; now it can be perfected consciously. Scientific words are best taught to children (3-6) in conjunction with the objects concerned and their explorations, because vocabulary keeps pace with their experience. For example, we show the actual parts of a leaf or flower, point out the geographical units on the globe.
In the classroom, the materials and activities are grouped into the four basic areas of Practical Life, Sensorial Work, Language, and Mathematics. In all of these, language is used as a bridge to the understanding of every experience. It is also used to crystallize the experience in the child’s mind.
Language is used as guidance and instruction. Names given for activities along with their functions and purposes helps the child build his general and specialized vocabulary. With this growing vocabulary, the child is able to express himself more easily and more fully with others.
Experiences in the arts, in dance, and in music are also given to the child along with the sciences of life, physical science, history and geography. All of these additional Exercises are introduces, informed, and crystallized with language. In addition to the activity itself, most of these Exercises are language lessons.
Every cultural path has a sensorial base for the child. There are materials in the Sensorial area from which the child builds a base for these other activities. From this base, the child will be offered specific activities in each of the paths of culture. Thus allows the child to become a participating and contributing member of his society. The four basic groups of work allow the child to sufficiently construct himself in his culture. The Cultural Work is given so the child has the keys to function in his culture.
There are fewer materials for the arts and sciences. There are some basic presentations that will always be included in the 3-6 classroom. These areas are open ended and other possibilities beyond the basic Exercises can be offered from time to time. As with other language activities, much of the work will come from the teacher. It is important to observe the children and observe what is of interest to them. It is important to keep a variety of work in these other paths of culture but without overdeveloping the areas to the point where they overwhelm the child. By carefully choosing what we offer in the arts and sciences, we can greatly enrich the child’s cultural adaptation.
((Thank you for an excellent answer. The young child absorbs all it encounters so we must give that child a rich environment, one that shares the richness of his cultures and others.))
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