Montessori at Home : Learn to Read
The Montessori classroom learning imitates life in the home environment, reading and writing is no exception. Without making a conscience efforts many families are helping their children understand written language in the home environment. Do you have books or magazines anywhere in your home, has your child seen you texting, are there welcome mats or signs in your home such as “Welcome” “Wipe your feet” “Cameron’s Room”? Of course your child has witnessed how written language has value in your home, whether it’s watching you use a recipe from Pinterest or looking at the mail to see who a letter belongs too. Written language has meaning and we are going to help children dive deeper into the meaning.
This segment will be divided into Oral language (sounds that you hear), Written Language (the symbols that represent the sounds) and Reading (how these sounds form words with meaning).
The Montessori Method of Language is divided into 3 series or colors, with Pink being the introduction followed by Green and Blue series.
In the Pink series you will help your child to build (write a word) and decode (sound out a word) CVC words, VC words and some sight words.
CVC words = Consonant + Vowel + Consonant. Examples: cat, red, box, run, hop
VC words = Vowel + Consonant Examples: in, at, it, is, at
Sight words or High frequency words. Examples: the, that, a, of, for, you, me, I
It important to note that oral and written language along with reading are not mutually exclusive, your child will often work in all of these areas at the same time which is natural. Many of the lessons that are included in the Pink Series are done concurrently. An example is that your child may already recognize their written name (she may not be able to read but she can associate the letters with her name), and she may even know how to write her name and how her name is pronounced.
So let’s dive in.
Oral Language
Introducing new vocabulary to a child will train their ears to identify sounds. You will constantly introduce your child to new vocabulary words formally and when they ask “what is this?”. Remember she will do this work along with the sound pouches and listen for rhyming words during one of your read aloud times (see later posts).
All throughout the Montessori education the child will receive 3 period lessons. An example is given below.
This 3 Period Lesson will be constantly used throughout the Pink Series.
Purpose: Introduce child to new vocabulary to listen more intently
Materials: Use real objects or photos
You say the following lines while pointing to the object or photo.
“This is an pushpin.”
“This is a jar.”
“This is a square.”
“Show me the square.”
“Show me the jar.”
“Show me the pushpin.”
“What is this?” Point to the pushpin.
“What is this?” Point to the jar.
“What is this?” Point to the square.
Sewing basket: Pushpin, square and jar