Maria Montessori stated that “the child must be exposed to language during this sensitive period or it will not develop” (Montessori: A Modern Approach).
The Toddler community offers diverse opportunities for clear, precise, accurate, descriptive language modeled by adults for the toddlers to absorb and express. The adults are careful to model absolute courtesy at all times.
The classroom is full of interesting objects and activities that encourage expressive language. In addition, the classrooms have language areas, and items are regularly rotated. At any given time one might find shell sorting and matching, sea animal identification, color recognition work, insect matching, the mystery bag, and more on the shelves.
Our daily circle time is an opportunity to share music, finger plays, poetry books, rhymes, language lessons, and color recognition. We play silence games in order to differentiate silence from the sounds of the environment. Also, toileting is an important one-on-one opportunity to model appropriate language: wet, dry, clean.
It is also an opportune time to have the child follow simple directions. For example, “Please bring a shirt from your cubby.”
The purpose of this emphasis on language is to give the child an awareness of its power and an appreciation of the beauty that language can express.
We internalize Dr. Montessori’s belief that language is a window to the universe and to the soul. No one can teach language to a child, as the ability to acquire language is innate. The classroom materials are designed to give order and form to the experience necessary for language acquisition.
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