Wired for Language

“In every task the most important thing is the beginning…especially when you deal with anything young and tender.” Plato

Oral language is one of those beginning things! Language is innate. Young children are "tuned in" from birth to smiles, eye contact, and human voices. The babbling we encourage as well as the baby talk, conversation, finger plays, and books like Mother Goose read aloud begin the development of receptive and expressive language. Maria Montessori called it "the absorbent mind."

Language is communication,

socialization,

 music and singing,

questioning,

connecting,

predicting,

thinking, and organization.

Language focuses attention

and helps us make sense of the world.

Experiences with oral language provide opportunities for sustained listening, sharing ideas and feelings, learning new vocabulary, accessing and remembering new information, as well as practicing grammar and syntax in speaking, and later in writing.

Language is a tool for learning motor skills. 

It helps build the phonological awareness children will need as beginning readers. 

And, oral language is fun--rhymes, poetry, stories!

“Stories give life to past experiences. Stories make the events in memory memorable to others and to ourselves.” Roger C. Schank

“You may have tangible wealth untold:

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be—

I had a parent who read to me.”

     Strickland Gillilan

Hakuna Matata

Jambo Kenya! Montessori enjoyed a bit of Kenyan music this morning with Mrs. Lloydie Zaisier.

The children used a map to find Bethesda, Maryland and then "traveled" with Mrs. Zaisier as she delivered our backpacks and school supplies to the Maasai children in Kenya last January.

We also found Kenya on our map of Africa.

We learned about the flag.

In the United States we use cow hide for shoes and dog chews.

Cows are important to the Maasai people. They are food, clothing, shelter, jewelry, and money.

Many musical instruments are made with cow hide, gourds, and grasses.

We sang "Jambo! Hakuna Matata!" and played our instruments.

 Our Masaai rafiki (friends) sent us thank you drawings.

They loved their new backpacks and pencils.

We loved seeing their pictures!

Asante Kenya!

The Lunchers have learned how to write letters so they are going to use their new skills (and lovely top down handwriting) to write their Kenyan friends letters. Mrs. Zaiser will take them to Kenya when she goes in June.