The Science of Reading

In an effort to improve literacy, there is a movement across North America focused on The Science of Reading. It is an interdisciplinary body of research spanning 50 years spanning several fields including cognitive psychology, neuroscience and linguistics. It has been developed based on empirical evidence, rather than being curriculum focused. The Science of Reading emphasizes the importance of systematically teaching foundational skills like phonemic awareness (the sounds of individual letters), phonics (the relationship between sounds and letters), fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Although the Science of Reading is a new approach to reading in traditional education, Dr Montessori developed the principles over 150 years ago for application in Montessori early childhood (primary) and elementary environments. The Montessori approach, similar to the Science of Reading, emphasizes building foundational skills through a scientifically researched, structured, multi-sensory approach.

How does a Montessori guide (teacher) teach a child to read?

Phonemic awareness and phonics

In a Montessori environment, phonemic awareness is developed first with oral language and then writing activities. The sound cylinders, a Sensorial material, help the child build and increase their awareness of the tone and pitch of sounds. The Sandpaper Letters are a tactile material that help the child associate letter sounds with their symbols. The Moveable Alphabet engages the child in a tactile exploration of writing. In a Montessori environment, the child is guided through the process of recognizing that language is made up of sounds, that each sound is represented by a letter and by blending these sounds together they can form words.

Multi-Sensory Learning

A foundational element of Montessori education is the use of multi-sensory materials. The materials engage multiple senses, which helps the child strengthen their understanding of sounds, symbols and word formation. For example, when working with the Sandpaper Letters, a child traces letters formed of sandpaper (tactile and muscular), sees the symbol (visual), and hears and says the sound of the letter (auditory). Similarly, when working with the Moveable Alphabet, the child practices building words with their hands (tactile and muscular) as they see the letter symbols (visual) and say the letter sounds (auditory). This reinforces phonetic language and word structure.

Systemic ad Sequential Instruction

Montessori materials are structured sequentially, from simple to more complex. This allows children to build their knowledge gradually and incrementally, ensuring a sound foundation (pun intended). Children start with basic sounds, progressing to phonograms and puzzle words. The materials teach the children through a variety of methods - encoding (i.e. writing), decoding (i.e. reading) and eventually leading to fluency. This systemic approach is advocated by the Science of Reading.

Vocabulary

In a Montessori environment children are introduced to vocabulary in every area of the curriculum. Children are presented with precise terms, synonyms for words they already know and complex, multi-syllable words that many would think are too advanced for a young child. The Montessori teacher understands there is no limit to the quantity of complex words children can learn, as long as the vocabulary is used in the right context (for example, a child may get ‘injured’, ‘hurt’ or ‘cut’, rather than get an ‘owie’).

Encoding before Decoding

While the Science of Reading method focuses specifically on reading, the Montessori method focuses on all aspects of language skills and culminates in reading. In fact, writing comes before reading in a Montessori classroom. Dr. Montessori understood that writing is easier for the child than reading. Writing is encoding and involves a child putting together sounds they know to build words. Reading is decoding, or taking words apart to identify their sounds and putting them back to understand their meaning. When a child reads, they are presented with a whole word and must take the word apart to identify its sounds and then put it back together to understand its meaning. Only when the child is confident with writing (encoding) does the Montessori method progress to reading (decoding).

The Montessori method was developed over a 100 years ago, based on research, study and experimentation. The Science of Reading has similarly been based on research and experimentation and embraces many of the same Montessori principles for reading. Both methods follow a structured, phonics-based, multi-sensory, and sequential approach. A key difference is that Montessori understands the value in learning to write before beginning to read.

Introduction to Language

Dr. Montessori recognised that a young child has a natural sensitivity for language development that starts in the womb. Children from 2 to 6 years have a unique fascination for words - written and spoken - they can build a vocabulary from about 200 to 10,000 words over this period. This fascination is what allows them to begin writing and reading before the age that its traditionally taught.

The Montessori teacher is able to follow each child’s period of interest and introduce the materials associated with language at the optimal time. Acknowledging that a child has already gained language (i.e. the mother tongue) before starting in the classroom, the teacher starts with sound games leading on to Sandpaper Letters which allow the child to come to writing with ease. Building words using the Movable Alphabet nearly always precedes reading in a Montessori environment.

For writing, children need two skills - the memory of the shape of letters and their corresponding sounds, as well as the muscular ability to use a writing instrument with control.

Acquiring both skills at the same time can be very discouraging and frustrating. The materials designed by Dr. Montessori offer children the opportunity to learn the shapes and sounds of the letters in a way that is independent from perfecting the motor skill. For example, the child can gain confidence in their ability to write by using the Movable Alphabet which allows the child to compose without the underdeveloped hand getting in the way. Children in Montessori classrooms learn to write, not by writing, but by performing a variety of purposefully structured activities that prepare them directly and indirectly for success in handwriting.

Some children read at four, some at five and some at six. The actual age isn’t as important as their level of readiness. If they begin too early, they’ll be discouraged. If they’re forced to wait and the time passes their initial period of interest then they’ll miss the golden opportunity when they’re propelled by their own natural enthusiasm. The freedom of Montessori allows children’s own interests to determine their progress.