“The development of language is part of the development of the personality, for words are the natural means of expressing thoughts and establishing understanding between people.” ~Maria Montessori
The development of writing skills is a two-fold process. First, the child must remember what the shape of the letter is with the corresponding sound and they must also develop the muscular skills necessary for using the pencil. In an earlier blog post, we discussed the sensorial area of the classroom. In the sensorial area, the children are using the materials which helps prepare them for writing. When a child is expected to listen carefully to perceive differences in the sound cylinders, they are developing strong listening skills to hear the difference between the letter sounds. Vocabulary is growing as the children are introduced to more words. The various materials in the sensorial area help to develop the muscles required for writing, as well.
The Montessori materials in the language area help the children to first learn the shape and sound of a letter, and then develop the motor skill to move the pencil with control. Within the classroom, the children are learning to write by performing purposeful activities to prepare them indirectly and directly for handwriting.
The sandpaper letters are the very first step in learning the shapes of the letters and the sounds. The child is able to feel the shape, see the shape, and hear the sound the shape makes. The children are asked to trace the shape, which is an important step and will help to fix the shape of the letter in the child’s muscular memory.
The children are invited to perfect their motor skills with the use of metal insets. They are learning control as they trace the different metal inset shapes and learn to fill in the outline with a colored pencil. It is interesting to watch the progression of the lines the children draw within the shape. At first, they are erratic and don’t stay in the lines. As time progresses, the lines become more intricate and controlled.
Once the child has worked with the metal insets and the sandpaper numbers extensively, they are then ready to begin writing. Students learn they are able to make words and numerals with a pencil. Maria Montessori calls this the “explosion into writing.” When the children develop writing in this progressive way, they are spared from many tedious hours of forced effort. Maria Montessori believed learning should be a natural process and all the materials within the Montessori classroom promote the natural process of learning, which in turn, instills a love of learning within the children.
Important Dates:
Monday, March 2nd: Dr. Seuss Day
Thursday, March 5th: Kindergarten Field Trip to Estes McDoniel Marine Lab
Monday, March 9th: Rainforest Animals Assembly
Saturday, March 14th: Middle School Charity Parking Lot Sale
Friday, March 20th: No school; Parent Teacher Conferences (sign-up sheet available on Monday, March 2nd)
Friday, March 27th: Clark County Wetlands Field Trip (P3 and P4)
Saturday, March 28th: PTO 5k Fun Run 8-11am