Montessori - Function of Words Paper
Function of Words
Children who have begun to read independently are ready to learn about the function of words. To accomplish this, Maria Montessori developed special grammar symbols that make the study of the nine parts of speech a sensorial experience. These colorful symbols highlight the pattern created when words are put together a certain way and thereby assist the children in absorbing the structure of language. Grammar helps children become better writers.
The sequence of introducing the grammar symbols is as follows:
Noun (black equilateral triangle)
Article (small blue equilateral triangle)
Adjective (medium dark blue equilateral triangle)
Verb (red circle)
Preposition (green crescent)
Adverb (small orange circle)
Pronoun (purple isosceles triangle)
Conjunction (small pink rectangle)
Interjection (golden keyhole)
NOUN FAMILY
Noun - a large black equilateral triangle
Impressionistic Lesson: Introduce the noun during a group lesson. Distribute cards/labels with names of people (classmates), places (restroom, playground, office, etc), and things (classroom items). Have the children bring these objects to the mat. “Look at all these objects! We have a book, a chair, a vase, ... Oh, Linnette, you’re not a thing; you’re a person, aren’t you. Welcome! And the bathroom! What happened to bathroom? You couldn’t bring it, could you? It is a place.”
“Let me tell you about all these words. All these words are matter. And Maria Montessori came up with a symbol for these kinds of words.” Use a square-based pyramid as a prop to tell a story about the oldest things in the world. Add picture cards or postcards as needed. “Look at these pyramids. (Show picture.) They have been around for 5000 years at least; they are some of our oldest structures still standing. And coal has been forming in the earth for thousands of years; it is
Children who have begun to read independently are ready to learn about the function of words. To accomplish this, Maria Montessori developed special grammar symbols that make the study of the nine parts of speech a sensorial experience. These colorful symbols highlight the pattern created when words are put together a certain way and thereby assist the children in absorbing the structure of language. Grammar helps children become better writers.
The sequence of introducing the grammar symbols is as follows:
Noun (black equilateral triangle)
Article (small blue equilateral triangle)
Adjective (medium dark blue equilateral triangle)
Verb (red circle)
Preposition (green crescent)
Adverb (small orange circle)
Pronoun (purple isosceles triangle)
Conjunction (small pink rectangle)
Interjection (golden keyhole)
NOUN FAMILY
Noun - a large black equilateral triangle
Impressionistic Lesson: Introduce the noun during a group lesson. Distribute cards/labels with names of people (classmates), places (restroom, playground, office, etc), and things (classroom items). Have the children bring these objects to the mat. “Look at all these objects! We have a book, a chair, a vase, ... Oh, Linnette, you’re not a thing; you’re a person, aren’t you. Welcome! And the bathroom! What happened to bathroom? You couldn’t bring it, could you? It is a place.”
“Let me tell you about all these words. All these words are matter. And Maria Montessori came up with a symbol for these kinds of words.” Use a square-based pyramid as a prop to tell a story about the oldest things in the world. Add picture cards or postcards as needed. “Look at these pyramids. (Show picture.) They have been around for 5000 years at least; they are some of our oldest structures still standing. And coal has been forming in the earth for thousands of years; it is