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On January 26, 2010, our teachers; Tannis Fisher, Sue Belliveau and Gretchen Bartlett, joined by Tracey Lai, treated us to an introduction of the Montessori language materials. To begin our evening session and to allow our minds to be clear, centered and focused, Tannis lead us in a mindfulness exercise. This practice was precipitated by a workshop the teachers recently participated in, and many have now incorporated the practice into their daily routines with our children. Sue began the evening with an interactive group game using synonyms. We each held a word card and walked around the room attempting to find the person with our synonym. This demonstrated beautifully the active learning that occurs daily in the classrooms. Tannis explained that the Montessori language materials are divided into three categories; physical, emotional and intellectual. Physical; Sand paper Letters, Metal Insets, writing. Social/Emotional; appropriate use of language, social graces etc. Intellectual; spelling, vocabulary, grammar, classification etc.
There was an example of all the Montessori language materials for us to learn about and explore, from the very concrete as seen in the primary classrooms, to the more abstract that are present in the intermediate rooms. Gretchen introduced us to the grammar materials and to the materials that allow the students to analyze sentences. She explained that the literature circles and novel studies that the intermediate students participate in are opportunities for the students to put their learning into practice. The meeting adjourned at 8pm, and we all left informed and excited about our children’s learning. |
