Language
Comprehension
Comprehension in the Montessori language arts curriculum is developed through a variety of activities and approaches that encourage children to understand and interpret spoken and written language. The goal is to help children not only read words but also understand their meaning and context.
Key Components
- Listening Comprehension:
- Read-Alouds: Teachers read stories, poems, and books aloud to the children, asking questions to engage them and check understanding.
- Storytelling: Encouraging children to listen to and retell stories, which helps them understand narrative structure and details.
- Reading Comprehension:
- Picture Books: Using books with rich illustrations to help children make connections between text and images.
- Simple Readers: Starting with books that have simple, repetitive text to build confidence and understanding.
- Phonetic Readers: Books that focus on phonetic words to reinforce sound-letter connections and improve decoding skills.
- Reading Cards: Matching pictures with words or sentences to aid in understanding the meaning of text.
- Interactive Activities:
- Question and Answer: Asking children questions about stories to encourage them to think about and discuss what they have read or heard.
- Sequencing: Activities where children put events from a story in order, helping them understand the flow and structure of narratives.
- Language Experience Approach:
- Discussion: Engaging children in conversations about various topics to develop their ability to understand and express complex ideas.
Benefits
- Enhanced Understanding:
- Children learn to go beyond decoding words to understand their meaning and context.
- Critical Thinking:
- Comprehension activities encourage children to think about and interpret information, developing critical thinking skills.
- Vocabulary Expansion:
- Exposure to a wide range of words and concepts through stories and discussions enriches vocabulary.
- Engagement with Text:
- Children develop a love for reading and an interest in exploring new stories and information.
By integrating these activities into the daily routine, GVM classrooms help children develop strong comprehension skills, enabling them to understand and enjoy reading while also preparing them for more advanced literacy tasks in the future.
