Most of us have heard that the best way we can support our children’s journey into reading is to read to them, and if we’re short on time, to play audiobooks. The richness of the language, it’s cadences, interesting vocabulary and imagery, all draw a child in. Sharing these stories, whether they hold up a mirror or open a window onto the lives of others, deepens our relationship while also developing a love for written stories. Remembering this sense of connection and rejuvenation, brings a child back to the written word again and again when the child is independently reading.

So while we know we’re on the right track for reading at home, just how does the child build skills needed for reading and writing in a Montessori Primary environment? And what about writing? Does it follow automatically once a child learns their letters? What does a child need to be successful?

Dr. Montessori realized that children come to writing and reading most readily when they are given both direct and indirect supports. From their very first day in the prepared environment, each child is subtly supported in their early steps towards the attainment of both writing and reading through lessons and experiences that develop their mind and hand for the work to come.

The work of the hand and wrist begins with Practical Life and Sensorial. Alongside all the delicious naming and describing words introduced, the child is offered many opportunities to practice making a pincer grip, and uses it to lift and guide materials in precise ways. In writing the pincer grip is essential, as it is the least tiring and most controllable manner of holding instruments such as pencils and pens. The child’s manual strength is developed through exercises such as Pouring Water, Squeezing Juice, The Pink Tower and The Brown Stair, helping the child develop the ability to hold a pencil over a prolonged period. When tracing the shapes in the Geometry and Botany Cabinets a child develops lightness of touch at the same time as improving the dexterity of their wrist.

Developing a strong and dexterous pincer grip and lightness of touch all support a child when they are filling in designs made with the Metal Insets, and later when writing labels, lists and stories, by reducing the amount of physical exertion required. These indirect preparations of the hand that occur when working in Practical Life and Sensorial encourage the development of positive habits that will benefit the child throughout life and facilitate a positive experience with handwriting and composition.

The work of the mind begins with words spoken and sung. Every time we have a conversation, share news, tell a true story, gather for songs and stories, recite a poem or a chant or relish a word we share our pleasure in communicating ideas. By engaging with a variety of expressive forms and styles, and encouraging them to speak and sing along, a child’s knowledge of their language is developed while their imagination is nourished. All of these activities stimulate the child’s mind, giving them ideas for their own stories and the ways in which they can deliver those stories. Each story, poem, rhyme, riddle and song issues an invitation to explore.

Some of these invitations occur as moments between two people, and others include either a small or a large group coming together. One group lesson which is sometimes planned, and other times reveals itself as essential to the moment, is formally known as News Period. Sharing news with a group, offers the child a forum in which to develop their skills in self-expression. Each child will be offered a turn, and those who choose to share have to decide what to say, and how to say it. This helps the child order their thoughts, and express themself publicly, leading to greater self-confidence and the inner composure which accompanies it. As such, it acts as an indirect preparation for writing.

Similarly, the Question Game supports the development of logical thinking, by introducing an orderly method for gathering information about a situation. Even the youngest Primary child can play. The guide says a simple sentence, such as ‘Dobry baked biscuits.’ Now the guide asks a series of questions aimed at identifying the parts of the sentence, from verb, to subject then object: ‘What did Dobry do?’, ‘Who baked biscuits?’, ‘What did Dobry bake?’. When these questions have been answered, the guide delves deeper, asking a series of questions around the verb, inviting the children to say why, where, when, how, and with whom the action occurred. The guide goes on to ask a series of questions about the subject then the object too, and the children paint a verbal picture of the situation. Playing the Question Game assists the child in learning to express themself logically, so that others can easily understand what they have to say.

This ordering of thoughts is echoed in the child’s individual lessons with the Classified Cards. Each set of picture cards is dedicated to one category, beginning with familiar topics such as the kitchen or living room, and showing items which commonly belong in that space. The guide and child discuss the pictures, naming each item correctly. Further sets delve into a point of interest, say construction vehicles, citrus fruits or mammals of the Pacific Northwest. When a guide notices a child’s special interest in a topic, they may make a set of Classified Cards about it for their class, allowing that child to engage even more deeply with the material, and for their peers to match imagery and vocabulary to the conversational topic. By consciously classifying objects according to a common relationship, a child is able to sort the impressions they have absorbed unconsciously since birth.

The natural counterpart to all this singing and speaking is silence. While the child has many opportunities to practice listening while others voice their thoughts, we underpin the importance of listening by playing group games which encourage us to focus on maintaining a quiet, still presence, and harken to the sounds around us. The most significant of these is the Silence Game, where the whole class gathers to make silence together. Through this collective effort, the child learns to perceive themself as part of a community that can achieve a shared goal by working together.

This act of self-restraint strengthens the child’s ability to control themself and consciously observe the world around them. It opens a moment for reflection. What was that sound I just heard? Where did it come from? How do I feel when I hear it? Which other sounds are occurring? Which will I describe? How will I describe it? After listening for a whole minute, the children are quietly invited one by one to report what they heard. Inevitably, there have been many subtle sounds, alongside those brasher ones, and the children enjoying building a cumulative oral picture of the soundscape together. The children directly develop their skill of observation and sense of social cohesion, while indirectly forming the mental foundation needed to write about life experiences, both imagined and real.

This increased attention to sounds supports the child’s development of phonological awareness. Being able to separate the sounds within a word, to the level of individual phonemes, is essential for success with both writing and reading. The guide encourages each child to tune in to individual sounds within a word by playing Sound Game. This game can be either individual or in a small group sitting around a mat on the floor. It is without a doubt the children’s favorite game, and one which inevitably draws observers. The game begins with a series of small objects being named, to ensure everyone knows the needed vocabulary. The guide then tailors each turn to the child playing, starting with placing one or two of the objects on the mat, such as a lighthouse and a wagon, and saying ‘I spy something on the mat beginning with l’. The child considers, and then says one of the objects. If the child is incorrect, that is simply information for the guide’s work. As children become confident and fairly consistent with finding the object by its initial sound, the number of objects is increased. Once this challenge is beginning to be easy, the guide invites the child to find the object by its final sound, then the medial sound, and finally to sound out the name of one object. By the time the child is able to sound out the objects, their sense of satisfaction and self-ownership of the phonemes is visible. By playing together, with children each at their own level, children see both where they are going and where they came from. The younger children are fascinated by the skill of their older peers, and the older children watch affectionately as the younger ones take their turns, and each considers their peers’ answers. We play this game often, and whether a child is an active participant, an observer, or simply working nearby, they hear this decoding and internalize it. The stronger a child’s ability to decode, the higher their comfort and sense of capability when meeting the letters for the first time in their Sandpaper Letter lessons, and the easier every future step in writing and reading.

All these activities in Oral Expression prepare a child for graphic language, leading to clarity when writing and comprehension when reading. One can see there are many steps and opportunities in building an in-depth foundation before the child even attempts to write a single letter or read a phonetic word. At home, talk to your child, name items in the world around them, read to them, sing together and be curious with them. All are key to being ready to express themselves and understand the stories they will encounter.

Victoria Armstrong, TTMS Children's House Guide

December 2023