Teaching Letter Sound The Montessori Way
Teaching Letter Sound The Montessori Way
This is part four in my series on early math and language skills. In my last post,
I discussed the way children learn to pick out and differentiate
between individual letter sounds (phoneme isolation) in Montessori
schools and shared some ideas for how parents can provide similar
activities at home.
Once children have become familiar and comfortable with the letter sounds (auditory discrimination), we move on to presenting the individual letters. We do not, however, present the letter names, but instead present each letter in association with its phonetic sound. Of course many letters make more than one sound, but we begin with one common sound for each letter.
In previous posts for this series I have briefly touched on the way
things are done in the classroom and then focused on ideas for parents
supporting their children’s learning at home. When it comes to the
letter sounds, the method used in Montessori schools is useful for
nearly all children and can be followed by parents who are supporting
their children in learning to read at home instead of in a Montessori
school or elsewhere.
Introducing a few sounds at a time
When children have had plenty of opportunities to practice phoneme
isolation, they are likely ready to begin learning the sounds in
connection with the letters that make them. In Montessori, the material
used for this purpose is the Sandpaper Letters. Guides
typically introduce only two or three letters at a time. Unless a child
has had a great deal of exposure to sounds and letters already, I
usually begin with two.
In order to make the first lessons as meaningful as possible for the
child, teachers often choose which letters to present based on what is
important to the individual child. For children who are just becoming
familiar with letters for the first time, it also helps to choose some
which are contrasting. With Annabelle, for example, I may give the first
sandpaper letters lesson on a and t, since a is the first sound in her name and t is another very common letter which is contrasting in both shape and sound.
The Lesson
Before any tactile work in the classroom, it is a good idea to begin by sensitizing fingers.
Based on my observations, it seems that many guides skip this step,
perhaps finding it too tedious, while others simply send children to the
sink to wash their hands. Others, however, have a special tray used for
the sensitizing fingers exercise. At home, just washing hands at the
sink may be the most practical thing to do.
We present the Sandpaper Letters in what is referred to as a “Three
Period Lesson.” I’ll explain the steps as they pertain to the Sandpaper
Letters, with a and t as my examples.
This is
In the first period, we introduce the letters one at a time. Remember that as
we introduce them, we are calling each letter by the sound it makes
rather than introducing the letter names, which are not actually helpful
in learning to write or read. There is a list of the sounds presented
at the end of this post.
The guide sits with a child at a rug or the table and places one
Sandpaper Letter in front of the child. While tracing the letter in the
same way one would write it, he or she says, “This is a. Can you say a?”
The child is then given the opportunity to trace and say the sound as
well. To provide context and meaning for the child, the guide names a
few things that begin with the sound. For example, “A is the first sound
in Annabelle.” After this, the first sound is taken away (I usually
place it face down on my lap if at a table, or behind my back if at a
rug) and the second is introduced in the same way.
Show me
In the second period, we give the child opportunities to practice
identifying, tracing, and saying the sounds being worked with. Both
letters are placed on the table and the guide gives a series of
directions such as, “Can you point to a?” “Can you trace t?” “Can you place a on my knee?” “Can you place t
on your knee?” The length of this stage depends on the child, but it
can go on for some time and as long as the child is enjoying it, can
provide a great opportunity to practice tracing, saying, and otherwise
reinforcing the new sounds. When the guide is confident that the child
has had sufficient practice, it’s time to move to the third period.
What is this?
In the third period, both letters are placed side by side on the
table or rug. The guide can ask the child to do this at the end of the
second period. The guide points to the first letter and asks the child,
“What is this?” After the child produces the correct letter sound, the
guide encourages them to “trace and say [letter sound].” The same is
done with the second sound and if the child remembers the new sounds,
the lesson is complete. If the child answers incorrectly, it’s up to the
guide to follow his or her lead and determine whether the child is
simply not yet ready for this work, or whether additional practice is
all that is needed. The guide can return to the second stage for
additional practice, or smile and put the work away for a later date.
Follow Up
After finishing a lesson on the sandpaper letters, the guide can
offer an activity that allows for additional practice. After a lesson on
a and t, for example, he or she can ask the child, “Would you like to
make a and t in the sand tray?” At some point, I’ll write a post on ideas for additional letter practice.
After this initial presentation, the sandpaper letters a child has
learned should be available for him or her to trace and practice at any
time and, once mastered, the guide can begin to introduce new sounds.
Before adding new sounds, it’s beneficial to check that the child
remembers the first sounds learned. He or she may recall them at the end
of the initial lesson, but forget them by the next day. For this
reason, I always liked to take recently presented sounds out before
introducing new ones. After my imaginary a and t lesson with Annabelle, I might bring a, t, and b to the table and invite Annabelle to trace and say a and then t.
If she remembers both, I can do a three period lesson with t and b,
which will give additional practice with t while introducing b. I could
also work with all three sounds together, or put a and t away and bring
out another sound to include in a presentation with b.
This process continues until the child has mastered all 26 letters and their sounds.
Key things to remember
Writing Direction
In addition to providing a multi-sensory experience with each letter,
the Sandpaper Letters are designed to prepare the child for writing by
giving him or her the opportunity to practice tracing them. This
practice is of little use if the letters are not traced in the same way
that we would write them. Make sure that when you present new letters,
you trace them exactly as they are written, starting at the starting
point and continuing with a fluid motion. If you’re rusty on proper
handwriting, do a search for handwriting worksheets. Many include arrows
that indicate the correct direction and can jog your memory.
Letter Sounds
Make sure that you consistently present the same sound for each
letter, as done in the list below. The letter names are not useful for
reading or writing. Children tend to pick these up on their own, but
they can also be taught later on if you feel that knowing them is
necessary.
Follow the Child
Watch for signs of readiness and then follow the child’s interests as
you go along. There is really no rush, and children will learn best
when they are ready and interested. End the lesson anytime you note a
lack of readiness or interest.
The Sounds Introduced in Montessori
When presenting, ensure that you isolate each sound as completely as
possible. Without thinking, it’s easy to present consonants with a vowel
attached. B does not make the sound “buh”, but simply b. This becomes
especially important when children are ready for blending sounds to
create whole words. There is no “uh” in the word baby or ball, and so
attaching one only complicates things for the child who is otherwise
ready to begin blending.
Sandpaper Letters: To Buy or to DIY
As with many Montessori materials, the Sandpaper Letters are not
cheap. Nienhuis, which most would consider to be the gold standard for
this sort of thing, offers sets of Sandpaper Letters for about $95.
Other retailers offer them for as little as about $30, though the
quality is likely not the same. If you’re crafty, you can likely create
your own set using stencils, sandpaper, and heavy cardstock or thin
sheets of wood and paint. Deb has some great links to places you can
purchase letters as well as tutorials for making your own over at Living Montessori Now.
a as in apple
b as in baby
c as in cat
d as in dog
e as in elephant
f as in frog
g as in green
h as in hat
i as in igloo
j as in jar
k as in kite
l as in leg
m as in moon
n as in nose
o as in octopus
p as in pig
q as in quail
r as in red
s as in sun
t as in tower
u as in umbrella
v as in vest
w as in walrus
x as in box
y as in yellow
z as in zebra
Questions?
There are so many more details and points of clarification I keep
thinking to add to this piece, but if I include everything it will be
far too long. That said, if you’d like me to clarify anything, please
feel free to ask. I always reply to questions in the comments section so
that others wondering the same thing can see the answer
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment