Literature and Writing
Overview
Learning to read and write is one of life’s most important achievements. These are the fundamental skills upon which all formal education depends. A student’s successful literacy development enhances the study of all subject areas and provides the key to a lifelong love of learning. But literacy is much vaster than just reading and writing. Literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills students need to access, understand, analyze and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others, and participate successfully at school and in their lives beyond school.
The aim of the Montessori language arts program is to help students develop and refine specific skills and strategies in reading, writing, listening and speaking, and then use these skills and strategies widely as tools for learning and reflection. We want children use language in such a way that it becomes a help to their reason and judgment, leading to independence of the intellect.
Through a deep study of literature, students master the mechanics of reading complex works such as identifying and learning unfamiliar words, analyzing literary elements, and meta-cognitive skills such as learning to problem-solve one's own reading challenges. They learn how to do all of the above based on evidence from the text, ensuring that they are really reasoning about and learning from the details of the literary work, even difficult ones such as the poetry of Tennyson.
In addition to mastering the full stack of reading comprehension skills, our program teaches students to systematically relate the lessons of literature to their own life experience. Students identify the relevance of the characters and events they comprehend, and learn to actively process and evaluate, e.g. the heroism of Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird, or the injustice of prejudice in Babe
Program Elements
- Grammar
A robust understanding of grammar enables children to express themselves through the written word with sophistication and clarity. When children learn about grammatical concepts, this knowledge can be integrated into the writing process – particularly the revising and editing stages - helping students to see the relevance of grammar to their own writing. Study of grammar also aids reading comprehension, enabling students to analyze the complex thoughts of others and to make sense of them.
The goal of the Montessori grammar curriculum is threefold: to offer a concrete representation of the underlying structure of our language, to foster a love of words and an appreciation of their power, and to improve children’s writing.
Grammar is presented as a multisensory, hands-on approach through the Grammar Boxes, Sentence Analysis and Clause Analysis materials, just to name a few. Once children are presented with the materials and the essential knowledge required for each particular grammar activity, they can explore the grammatical concept by matching, moving, and manipulating words and symbols to create patterns and sentences. This provides an open ended and often playful exploration of grammar, which prompts children to think critically about language.
In the upper elementary environment, children transition from working with the hands-on Sentence Analysis materials to Sentence Diagramming on paper - a visual/pictorial representation of the grammatical structure of a sentence. Sentence diagramming allows children to move beyond the confines of the Sentence Analysis material and enables them to parse every element of sometimes very complex sentences.
- Vocabulary
- Reading
- Literature
- Writing
- Public Speaking and Presenting
Lower Elementary Curriculum
Writing and Communication
Great Stories
The Story of Communication in Signs
The Story of the First Word
History of the English Language
Story of Writing: Story of the Piece of Paper that Could Talk
History of Written Language
Phonemic Awareness
Initial, Final, Medial Sounds
Segment the Phoneme
Syllabification
Spelling
Spelling Analysis
Dictation
Puzzle Words
Parts of Speech
Nouns
Articles
Adjectives
Verbs
Prepositions
Adverbs
Pronouns
Conjunctions
Interjections
Sentence Analysis
Parts of the Sentence
Compound Parts
Adverbial and Adjectival Modifiers
Attributives
Indirect Object
Types of Sentences
Mechanics and Conventions
Capitalization
Punctuation
Writing Structure
Sentence Construction
Paragraph Structure
Keyword Outlines
Narrative Writing
Concept and Narrator's View
Plot
Context / Setting
Narration
Characters and Actors
Conclusion
Temporal Words to Signal Event Order
Expository Writing
Concept and Organizational Elements
Developing a Topic for Research
Introduction and Conclusion
Supporting Points with Facts and Definitions
Writing Process
Planning
Revising and Giving/Getting Feedback
Editing and Common Notation
Penmanship
Cursive and Print
Calligraphy
Hand Lettering and Illumination
Oral Presentations and Recitation
Storytelling and Drama
Oral Reports
Speeches
Memorized Poetry
Volume, Pronunciation, and Pace
Discussions
Following Group Discussion Norms
Expression of Own Ideas
Building on Ideas of Others
Socratic Discussion
Interpersonal Communication
Connection to Practical Life
Class Agreements
Community Meeting Participation
Building Relationships through Conversation
Expressions of Feelings
Reading
Phonics
Phonics and Decoding Skills
Prosody
Word Study
Compound Words
Homophones, Homonyms, Homographs
Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes
Antonyms and Synonyms
Vocabulary Development
Sight Words
Words Relevant to Topics of Student's Work
Use of Reference Sources (e.g. Glossary, Dictionary)
Sources of Information
Illustrations and Pictures
Bolding and Italicizing
Headings and Captions
Table of Contents and Index
Text Elements
Concepts of Theme and Central Idea
Story Elements (e.g. Retell, Sequence)
Point of View and Purpose
Making Connections Within and Outside of the Text
Evaluating and Questioning
Asking Questions about the Text
Making Inferences
Recounting and Describing with Textual Evidence
Comparing and Contrasting
Genres of Literature: Stories
Folktales and Legends
Fables
Fantasy
Myths
Adventures
Genres of Literature: Dramas
Reader's Theater
Monologues
Staged Dialogue
Genres of Literature: Poetry
Nursery Rhymes
Limericks
Free Verse Songs
Nonfiction Texts
Biographies and Autobiographies
Histories
Arts
Technical Texts
Charts, Maps, and Displays
Literature Circle Reading Examples
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, Alice Dalgliesh
The Sword in the Tree, Clyde Robert Bulla
Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia MacLachlan
The Courage of Sarah Noble, Alice Dalgliesh
The Cricket in Times Square, George Selden
Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White
Indian in the Cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks
Upper Elementary Curriculum
Writing and Communication
Research and Timelines
Timeline of the History of Languages (Etymology) and Human Communication
Spelling
Spelling Code Dictation
Generalized Accuracy of Spelling in Writing
Advanced of Parts of Speech
Prepositions: Transposition and Prepositional Phrases
Adverbs: Manner, Degree, Place, and Time
Pronouns: Transposition, Demonstrative, Numeral, Indefinite, and Declension Conjunctions: Coordinating, Subordinating, Correlative
Advanced Study of the Verb
Conjugation
Transposition
Person, Number, and Tense
Auxiliary and Modal Verbs
Active/Passive Tense Mood
Sentence Analysis
Complex and Compound Sentences
Clause Analysis
Dependencies
Sentence Building with Phrases and Clauses
Formal Sentence Diagramming
Mechanics and Conventions
Commas
Underline and Italics
Quotation Marks and Dialogue
Parenthesis and Dashes
Apostrophe and Possessives
Punctuation in Writing
Writing Structure
Sentence and Paragraph Structure in Writing
Three Paragraph Essay
Writing Style
Aligning Format to Task, Purpose and Audience
Analyzing Consistency of Style and Tone
Narrative Writing
Technique
Descriptive Details
Clear Event Sequences
Plot
Context and Setting
Narration
Characters and Actions
Conclusion
Use of Phrases and Clauses
Expository Writing
Topic Clarity
Idea/Concept Development
Definition and Classification
Comparing and Contrasting
Cause and Effect
Formatting and Graphics
Quotations Sources and Citations, Bibliography
Persuasive Writing
Point of View Clarity
Supporting Claims
Credible Sources and Citations
Research Writing
Research Projects and Essays to Build Knowledge about a Topic
Research Questions
Taking Notes from Various Sources
Organization with Credible Sources and Citations
Poetry Writing
Figurative Language
Structure and Sound Patterns
Fluency across forms (e.g. acrostic, cinquain, haiku, free verse, limerick, sonnet, and diamonte)
Writing Process
Planning
Revising
Feedback and Editing
Writing Tools
Keyboarding
Typesetting Applications
Oral Presentations and Recitation
Memorized Speeches and Plays
Debate
Presentations
Formal English
Eye Contact
Volume
Pronunciation
Pace
Socratic Discussions
Group Discussion Norms
Critical Evaluation of Own and Other's Ideas
Deepening the Quality of Discussion
Asking Questions for Clarification and Explanation
Making Textual Justifications
Interpersonal Communication
Participation in Collaborative Community Activities
Community Discussions
Setting Class Norms
Leadership through Verbal Communication
Reading
Word Study
Contractions
Advanced Antonyms and Synonyms
Advanced Homophones, Homonyms, and Homographs
Etymology - Classical Roots
Vocabulary Development
Academic Vocabulary
Similes
Metaphors
Idioms
Adages
Proverbs
Cause and Effect
Part and Whole
Items and Categories
Connotative Language
Sources of Information
Visual and Auditory Media
Print or Digital Text Details
Animations
Diagrams
Graphs
Hyperlinks
Web Pages
Key Words
Timelines
Text Elements
Summarizing Theme and Central Idea
Character Analysis
Comparing and Contrasting
Point of View and Author's Purpose
Making Connections to Historical Events and Ideas
Evaluating and Questioning
Questioning, Inference, and Interpretation
Evaluating Presented Information
Literary Comparisons
Rhetorical Criticism
Argument and Reasoning
Textual Annotation
Genres of Literature: Stories
Adventures
Historical Fiction
Mysteries
Science Fiction
Allegories
Parodies
Satire
Genres of Literature: Dramas
Single and Multi-Act Plays
Acting Methods
Production
Genres of Literature: Poetry
Lyrical
Sonnets
Odes
Ballads
Epics
Literary Nonfiction and Historical, Scientific, Technical Texts
Exposition
Argument
Personal Essays
Opinion Pieces
Speeches
Biographies and Memoirs
Journalism
Scientific and Technical Accounts
Literature Circle Reading Examples
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis
The Golden Goblet, Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Call it Courage, Armstrong Sperry
The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain
The Giver, Lois Lowry
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare
Beowulf: A New Telling, Robert Nye