42 Hours - 3 semester units

Philosophy and rationale of the curriculum area of language arts are introduced. , Montessori materials that aid in the development of language arts skills and concepts are introduced. In particular, receptive and expressive language experiences, visual and auditory perceptual experiences, and vocabulary enrichment are introduced first. The traditional areas of the Montessori language arts curriculum begin with the sandpaper letters with their multi-sensory approach to the introduction of phonics. The moveable alphabet introduces simple word building, followed by the reading of simple words matched to pictures, then simple words to read in a booklet, and finally word list void of picture cues. This classic pink series, is followed by the consonant blends (blue series), and finally the Montessori English-language update of the phonograms (green series). The metal insets introduce proper pencil grasp and writing control. Finally, grammar with the parts of speech is introduced through usage and movement. Opportunities for supervised practice with the Montessori language arts materials occur at each class session.