Discussion Night: How do children learn to read and write? – 2023

It was not simply a single child but rather many who showed this same surprising ability. They obviously had a special sensitivity for words and were ravenous in their desire to master the written language.” – Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

Children are born into language – interacting, communicating, speaking and listening with their loved ones and later with the world around them.

Although physical and oral expression are natural phenomena common to all humans, the learning of written language – reading and writing – is something that needs to be taught and structured. Montessori as in all areas seeks to follow the child and there is much indirect preparation before a child is ever asked to write with a pencil. Following the child’s natural explosion into written language, the sounds and manipulations of English language are then given structure and skills are progressively developed. The child is provided with concrete building blocks they can use to express and share ideas with others. But the instruction of reading and writing can be disputed in Australian schools, so why do we teach it the way we do? What are the steps for a child to learn to read and write? What can you do at home to support their learning? What if they are having difficulties with learning to read and write?

Please join us for a materials display and presentation on the Montessori phonetic approach to reading and writing, and a discussion of what parents can do at home to support early literacy skills.