“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.”  — Roald Dahl, Mathilda

Reading gives the child the ability to connect with the thoughts of others and access to information about a variety of things that interest them. As the child observes the adults and older children around him reading, he develops an interest in reading. When a child is introduced to a variety of interesting books, he develops a love for reading.

In the Montessori environment, reading develops spontaneously. The preparation for reading begins from the moment the child enters the environment. In the beginning, the child is introduced to new words pertaining to their environment and then their world. This enriched vocabulary helps them classify and understand the world around them, piques their curiosity and enhances their understanding of the language of their environment.

The sandpaper letters introduce the children to the sounds that make up the words of their language. Once the child has grasped the sounds, they are able to use those sounds to create words using the moveable alphabet. Often times, a child will spontaneously begin reading the words they create with the moveable alphabet and in the process discover that they can read.

At this time they are introduced to the reading exercises that allow them to experience reading first phonetic words and then words that use phonograms or blended sounds. The child is presented with a variety of phonograms and words that use these new sounds. Next come puzzle words or sight words, which are words that cannot be sounded out but must be memorized. The child then begins to use these words in their work. They are also presented with a variety of activities to read words that match objects in the environment, pictures of vocabulary cards that they have been previously introduced to and words that they can act out. The child now has an understanding of the mechanics of reading and is able to enjoy reading a variety of material.

Now begins the path to total reading when the child acquires a deeper understanding of the material he is reading. The child is now reading more than just a few words at a time, but phrases and sentences, and is able to understand the full meaning of the text. He is reading, not to practice, but to get information and often for pleasure. The activities of function of word, reading analysis and word study give the child the tools to interpret the text in context but giving them insight into the role each word plays in a phrase or sentence, and how different words and parts of a sentence work together. When the child reads with these tools in hand, he is better able to appreciate what he is reading and gains a deeper understanding of the language of his environment.

In order for the child to spontaneously arrive at reading and acquire a lifelong love of reading, it is important to introduce him to books at an early age. The books should be about a variety of interesting subjects starting with simple picture books to introduce new words to easy reading books and more complex chapter books in various genres.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” 

            — Dr. Seuss, I can read with my eyes shut!

Happy Reading!

Archana