The Sequence & Order of Language Materials

in the Childrens House (Ages 3 to 6)

UsuallywhenaMontessoriconsultantcomestovisitaschool,thefirstthings/hesaysis:Ifitisntinyour
albums,takeitoffyourshelves.Ithinkthereisgreatwisdominthat.Itiseasyforourfocustoshiftaway
fromthecoreessentialsandontothingsthathavewanderedintoourspace.Andofcoursethereissomuch
languageworkthatisnotontheshelves:
Ournaturalconversationswiththechildrenandeachotherinfrontofthechildren
Ourgracious&courteousspeech
Poems&rhymes
Songs
Stories(frombooksandfromourlives)
Commandgames(followingthroughonaspecificrequestthatthechildisinternallymotivatedto
complete)
Vocabularylessons

Hereisalistfrommyalbumsofwhatisphysicallymeanttobeonourlanguageshelves.Ihaveaddedinthe
chalkboardsasIunderstandtheyareonceagainpartofthebasic36training(theywentoutoffashionfora
time).Youmayfindsomevariationsfromyourtraining.Gowithwhatisinyouralbumsunlessyoudoubttheir
clarity.Butifyoustrayfromyourtraining,youmustprepareyourselftouseallofthematerialsandpresent
themintheorderyouhavethemarrangedontheshelves.Thechildrenabsorbthisexternalorder.Theywill
cometoexpecttoreceivepresentationsaccordingtothisorder.Itiscriticaltotheirfulldevelopment.

Rememberthattheorderalwaysgoesfromlefttoright,toptobottom.Beginonthetopleftoftheshelfand
proceedaccordingly.

SequenceofLanguageMaterials

QuietReadingArea
Youneedtocreateaquietreadingarea,cozyandcalm.Setthisupinasereneareathatissomehowlinked
withthelanguageshelves.Includethefollowing:
Books(justafewinalovelybasketordisplayedonashelfarefine;nottoomanyastooverwhelm;
storiesthatarerelevanttothechildren,inspirational,withgorgeousillustrations)
Acomfortable,softchair
Alovelyrugwithapillow
Asmalltablewithalamp

2010MaitriLearning,LLC.Westhampton,MA,USA.Allrightsreserved.

StandingChalkboardEasel
Ideally,thishasachalkboardononesideandaneaselforpaintingontheother.
Besuretohaveachalkboardwashingactivityjustbeloworadjacenttotheeasel.Thechildrenwillnot
bedrawntouseadirtychalkboard.
ThePaintingEasel
- Includeapaintingeaselwashingactivityjustbeloworadjacenttotheeasel.Includethecleaningof
theeaselaspartofthepaintinglesson.Itisessentialthatthechildrenarefreedtokeeptheeasel
cleantheyaredriventodothisandwillbedistractedbydriedpaintifitisnotkeptclean.
- Usesmallpotstoholdsmallamountsofpaint.InSeptember,haveonlyonecolorout.Proceedin
orderthroughthematerialslistedbelow.Dabthepaintbrushinthewater,blotitonthesponge,dip
itinthepaint,applyittothepaper,andthengobacktothewaterandrepeatforeach
replenishmentofpaint.Thiswillpreventtheinadvertentmixingofpaintsinthepotsonceyou
introduceadditionalcolors.Herearethematerialsyouneedinthisorder:
o Smalljartocontainthreepaintbrushesofdifferentbristlesize(upsidedownandupright)
o Smallpotofwater
o Smallsquareofdampsponge
o Smallpotofpaint

ShelfUnit#1
Shelf1
- Pictureofachild(toremindyoutogive3periodvocabularylessonsonthepartsofthebody)
- Pictureofyourclassroom(toremindyoutogive3periodvocabularylessonsonthenamesof
everythingintheenvironment)
- TwoorthreesetsofVocabularycards(thatisolatetheirsubjectandincludeNOletters/words):from
differentcategoriestousefor3periodlessonsandsorting*
- Pink&BlueSandpaperLetters(ideallythesearedisplayedalltogetherinonearea,suchason
moldingonawall;seeLORDEquipmentCompanyforthecustommoldingIhelpeddesign)
- GreenSandpaperLetters
Shelf2
- EmptyISpybasket(teachthechildrenhowtogatherobjectsfromtheenvironmenttouseforISpy
games)
- OnesetofMatchingCards*
- MovableAlphabets(onesmall,onelarge)

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Shelf3
- Chalkboards(allofthebelowinonearea)
o BoardwithNolines
o Boardwithwidelines
o Boardwithnarrowlines
- Chalksupply
- Threechalkboardcleaningactivities(theywontusethemiftheyredusty;Youcanusethisinstead
oferasers;presentitwithelegance:draw,wipelefttorightwiththesponge,drylefttorightwith
thecloth,repeat)
o Smalltray
o Smalldampsponge
o Smallcloth

MetalInsets
TenMetalInsets&Frames(onslantedstands)
ThreeMetalInsetTrayseachwithapencilholder
Metalinsetpapersupply
Twopencilsharpeners

ShelfUnit#2
Shelf1
- Acontainerofwritingpencils(manydifferentsizes/shapesbutNOerasers)
- TwoPencilSharpeningactivities
- PaperSupply
o 8.5x11blankpaper(forfirstpaperwriting;folditlikeafantomakelinesthatmatchthe
approximatesizeofthechildsscript)
o 4x2blankpaper(forwritingindividualwords)
o 6x2blankpaper(forwritingshortphrases)
o 8x2blankpaper(forwritinglongerphrases)
o 8.5x11paperwithwidelyruledsolidlines
o 8.5x11paperwithnarrowerruledsolidlines
- Acontainerofthreechildsizedscissors(forcuttingpapertothesizethechildneeds)
- WritingTray
o AnemptytrayyouusetogiveWritingandFunctionofWordslessons;youwillfillthistraywitha
pencilandthepaperoftherightsizeforthelessonatthestartofyourlesson
- Smallboardstowriteupon(ifworkingatarug;clipboardsarenotpreferred)

2010MaitriLearning,LLC.Westhampton,MA,USA.Allrightsreserved.

Shelf2
- LabelingtheClassroomActivity(StickyNotescuttoasizeforlabelingtheclassroomonatraywitha
writingpencil)
- Preparedslipsforlabelingtheclassroom
- KeepsakesTray(forturningallthatwritingintotreasures)
o Onepairofscissors
o Onecontainerofcoloredpencils(specialcolorsbeyondthoseprovidedforthemetalinsets),
markers,orpastels(alongwithasharpenerifnecessary)
o Onegluestick
o Tapeindeskstyletapedispenser
o Onesmallstapler
o Oneholepunch
o Bookletringsoryarn/ribbon
Shelf3
- PhoneticObjectBox*
- 3PartPhoneticReadingCards*
- PhonogramObjectBox*
- 3PartPhonogramReadingCards*
- Puzzle/SightWords*
- PhonogramFolders(ReadingSchemeforEnglish)
- 3PartCards(nonphonetic)*

ShelfUnit#3
Shelf1
- FunctionofWords(IftheFunctionofwordsactivitiesaremaintainedinclothpouches,theycanbe
housedinadivideddisplayrackandthustakeupminimalshelfspace;iftheyarehousedin
individualcontainers,youwillneedmoreshelfspace)
o TheArticle
o TheAdjective
o LogicalAdjective
o DetectiveAdjective
o Conjunction
o VerbIntroduction
o VerbBox1(Charades)
o AdverbBox1
o AdverbBox2
o VerbBox2(Transitive&Intransitive)
o VerbBox3(MentalActivity)
o VerbBox4(Syntax)
o CommandsBox1(TwoActions)
o CommandsBox2(TwoActions/OneObject)
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o CommandsBox3(TowActions/TwoObjects)
o CommandsBox4(TwoActions/TwoObjectswithpronouns)
- SymbolsBox

Shelf2
- FurtherDefinitionCards*
- ReadingAnalysis:
o SimpleSentences1stStage(basketofredcirclesandblackarrows;preparedsentencetickets
fromthebestauthors)*
o SimpleSentences2ndStage(basketofarrowsandcircleswithdescriptivewords;prepared
sentenceticketsfromthebestauthors)*
o SimpleSentencesExtensions&Appositions(orangeandblackarrowswithquestions,
black/red/orangecircles,black/bluetriangles;preparedsentenceticketsfromthebestauthors)*
Shelf3
- ReadingAnalysis:
o Charts/Boards

________________________
*Rotatetheseitemsregularly.Youshouldhavealargevarietyoftheseitemsthatyoukeepoutofsight(instorage).Changetheitemsontheshelveseveryweekor
twotohelpkeeptheshelvesaliveandmagical.Whenyouchangesomethingontheshelves,drawthechildrensattentiontoit.Whenyougreetthemyoumightsay
somethinglike,ThereissomethingnewinourlanguageareaIwonderifyouwillfindit.Howwonderful!

2010MaitriLearning,LLC.Westhampton,MA,USA.Allrightsreserved.