ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
“The environment necessary for the development of language can be enhanced to structure the child from birth to 6 years .How is language encouraged in the Montessori nursery class?
Introduction;
Language is defined as the system of sounds and works used by humans to express their thoughts and feelings. Language can be in written or spoken form.
Languages, in the form of written volumes, contain the accumulated knowledge and experience of mankind in relation to every art and science. (What you should know about your child, Ch-8, Pg-28).
The newly born child is different from the point of view of heredity from the newly born mammals. The mammals inherit is bodily from precisely to suit the functions it has to perform in life. They are very adaptable to the environment. Man is different/ Man is in fact the only species capable of indefinite evolution in the activities in the outer world. From this flows the development of civilization.
Instead of being born possessed of them, he has to absorb them from outside him. (Basic ideas of Montessori’s Educational Theory, Ch-3, Pg.58).
The Language for example. The child is not born with a predetermined language but with potential to learn. The development of language in a child is not gradual or uniform. First he will in all the different sounds in his environment through the processing of listening but he will not speak a word. Suddenly, the child is able to utter a few syllables, then his first word, then names of objects or things around him. Gradually, more works and names and later to making of sentences. Besides, listening, a child is also taking in impressions of speech by observing the adult’s mouth and lip movements. All these impressions from sight and hearing are stored in child’s subconscious mind. Dr. Montessori called it the “Absorbent Mind.”
At a certain point of time, a special sensitivity appears during the child’s mental development. It is during
Bibliography: ❖ Maria Montessori : Discovery of the Child ❖ David Gettman : Basic Montessori ❖ Maria Montessori : Absorbent Mind ❖ Gunter Schulz-Benesch: Basic Ideas of Montessori’s Educational Theory ❖ Maria Montessori : What you should know about your child ❖ Montessori ,M., : A Modern Approach