Early Literacy starts with ages 0 - 3.
Start Early! Read Often!
Regular reading time:
Promotes the joy of reading! It's not a chore to read, but a privilege.
Supports the culture of reading (taking care of books, turning pages, reading left to right, etc)
Connects the written word to the spoken word
Early Literacy Skills - Before learning to read
Early Literacy skills for ages 0 - 3.
They start to recognize symbols (McDonald’s, Ford, etc.)
They notice letters in the environment (on a cereal box, street sign, etc.)
They like to play with sounds (guided by an adult) "/m/ /m/ mama /m/ /m/ monkey"
They are able to play "I spy something starting with a /s/ sound." etc.
Teaching the Alphabet
When do we start learning the alphabet?
When the child shows interest.
Follow your child!
As early as 2.5 years, up to 4 or 5 years.
Materials:
Option 1: Montessori Sandpaper Letters
These are small wooden boards with the letter's shape in sandpaper, so the child feels the letter's texture when tracing it.
Pro: Tactile
Con: Bulky, expensive
Option 2: Jumpstart to Reading ABC (an at-home alternative)
Pro: Based on the Montessori method, affordable, easy-to-use, fits on your shelf
Con: Not tactile, but has a visual guide
Option 3: DIY
You can make your own letters or use a material you already have. Just be sure to use lowercase letters.
How to teach the Alphabet - The first step in learning to read!
In Montessori classrooms we use what is called
The 3-period lesson - by Dr. Maria Montessori
It's basically a short, one-on-one or small group lesson to teach a special objective, for example, the letter "m".
We break the lesson into three parts, or three periods. It should take less than 5 minutes to teach one letter with this method.
The 3-Periods are:
Present the new information (the letter's shape and sound).
Practice the learning objective (what you want the child to learn).
Check comprehension (test their knowledge in a way that builds confidence).
Let's look at each step in depth:
Present the new information - Teach
Tell the child, “This is /d/.” using the letter's *sound*, not it's name (not "dee").
Model tracing the letter with 2 fingers.
Give examples of the sound with words the child knows: “/d/ is the first sound in ddddog.”
Practice the learning objective (what you want the child to learn) - Explore
Invite the child . . .
Can you say /s/?
Do you want to trace /s/ with your fingers?
Can you think of words with /s/?
If the child rejects your invitation - they're busy, not ready for it - it's okay
If the child accepts your invitation - guide the child to trace the letter, say its sound, listen for letter sound in words, and look for letter in words.
Check comprehension - Test
A game with pointing - build confidence - make it easy
Which one is /m/? Which one is /s/? Trace /m/ with your fingers, please.
Produce information themselves - test - correct positively
What is this? (Child answers themselves)
Video: Montessori Three-Part Lesson
Let's watch the Montessori 3-period lesson in action with a child ages 2 years, 7 months:
Learning the ABCs in prepartion for reading, with the Montessori Method.
Video: Saying the letter's sound
In learning to read with Montessori, we teach letter sounds.
Here's a short video to support you in isolating the letter sound (rather than teaching the name of the letter, which is great for spelling, but not needed for early reading).
The next step . . .
Word Building - Movable Alphabet
The next step in early literacy with the Montessori Method, when the child is familiar with all (or at least most) of the letters, is to BUILD words.
We build words before we learn to read words!
Word Building is a really fun activity for little ones, and I'm going to show you the at-home version with a wooden puzzle, rather than the official Montessori "Large Moveable Alphabet".
Material 1: Objects or images representing phonetic CVC words
Start with Consonant-Vowel-Consontant words like d-o-g.
Real objects/toys (dog, cat, hen, pen, man, leg, etc) to represent the CVC words.
Material 2: Movable Alphabet
Be sure to use lowercase letters for early literacy!
Montessori Large Moveable Alphabet
Pro: Organized, nicely laid out, a large collection of letters so children can write whole sentences (even stories!)
Con: Bulky, takes a whole shelf, expensive
Wooden puzzle (lowercase letters)
Pro: Sturdy, affordable, easy-to-use, fits on your shelf, you probably already have one.
Con: Only 1 of each letter limits word building
Foam Letters (magnets)
Pro: Affordable, small collection, fits on your shelf
Con: Hard to keep organized/need extra organizer
The Method - Word Building - A Step toward Learning to Read with Montessori
Let's get started! Here's how it works:
Adult: Would you like to build some words with me?
Child (these are all typical responses, of course your child may respond differently): Yes!
Adult: Which word do you wan to do first? We have pig, cat, fox, and dog.
Child: I want dog!
Adult: Dog. When you say "dog," what sounds do you hear?
Child: /d/
Adult: Can you find /d/ in our letters?
Take your time, let the child find the letter "d" (offer support only if needed), guide them to place the letter in clear view (see image below).
Adult: What other sounds do you hear in dog? ddddoooooggggg (sound it out, make it easy for the child)
Some children will next say /o/, but often they hear the ending sound next, for example /g/. Again, let them find the letter, support them if needed, and guide them to place "g" near the "d" (see below).
Adult: Now there's a tricky sound here in the middle. Listen: d o o o o o g. What sound goes here in the middle? (Point with your two fingers to "d", the space, and "g").
Guide the child to find the final letter and complete the word.
Continue with the other words as long as the child stays interested. Remember it's always an invitation (For example: Do you want to build "cat" now?)
Learn to read with Montessori!
Consider downloading these worksheets to try Jumpstart to Reading ABC at home. The first set is free to try.
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