"Through engaging in spoken language actives with the children, we are building our relationship together, and sharing a social connection that is a deeply human quality. As [Montessori's son] Mario Montessori cautioned the students in the 1946 London Lectures, before we go into the classroom and attempt to 'teach' them language, we ourselves must first feel the deeply human connection that comes through sharing language. 'For every word is a monument to some soul that has gained strength through agony or happiness, who has broken the silence, created a word which will pass from generation to generation as long as the soul and intelligence lasts'. This is the spirit in which we introduce the sandpaper letters, and the silent communication of writing and reading.
Our joyful purpose with all our language activities is to help every child feel she is capable of meaningful and effective communication, worthy of respectful interpersonal communication, and able to identify with the expressed thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others. Through language development, the child builds self-confidence, self-worth, and empathy" (Andrews, 2015, p.43-44).
Andrews, Sarah Werner. (2015). The social relevance of Montessori in the first plane. The NAMTA journal, 40(2), 31-61.
Our joyful purpose with all our language activities is to help every child feel she is capable of meaningful and effective communication, worthy of respectful interpersonal communication, and able to identify with the expressed thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others. Through language development, the child builds self-confidence, self-worth, and empathy" (Andrews, 2015, p.43-44).
Andrews, Sarah Werner. (2015). The social relevance of Montessori in the first plane. The NAMTA journal, 40(2), 31-61.
