Traditionally, children's formal introduction to print has occurred when
they enter primary school around five years of age. The progress of this
literacy development typically has been from the child's spoken language
into reading. In this approach writing emerges out of reading experience.
Montessori's theory suggests that children can come to literacy via
writing, specifically via the sounds of the alphabet. Her approach rests on
the view that the alphabet can represent the sounds of spoken language.
Given the sounds/symbols to write the child can learn to map spoken
language to print. As children explore the print system in writing they will
build up knowledge and understanding sufficient to support easy access to
reading.
According to Montessori the pre-school years offer an optimal time for
this development to occur. She maintains that where literacy acquisition
emerges out of spoken language via writing into reading the potential for
creative written expression may be more available to the child than where
the progression is first into reading. In this latter approach the thoughts
and conventions of other writers (reading) may limit the child's
expression.
Theoretical issues regarding young children's capacities to learn as well as
issues surrounding the writing/reading precedence are discussed.
To examine the process from children's spoken language into writing, a
series of naturalistic observations were carried out in three Montessori
classes. Children's progress from oracy to literacy and the learning
environments which facilitated this process are documented and discussed.
In presenting the children's learning environments an informal exposition of
Montessori's approach to language learning at the pre-school level is given.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219009 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | Hilson, Patricia F., n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Patricia F. Hilson |
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