There are so many different reading/writing/phonics programs out there these days, undoubtedly they all work. As an educational industry, we have pretty much figured out how to teach children how to read. Montessori education and especially the Montessori Language program use those essential keys (and always have) to teach a student the fundamentals of literacy. What do parents and teachers want to do for their children? Across the board, it seems to be - make it easier. How can LIFE be easier for my child? How can school be easier for my child? How can it all be easier for me!? The way Language is represented in the Montessori classroom makes.it.easier.
The Language Curriculum is of course, linear, but is also completely flexible. We start with the basics and move along, but often find ourselves reviewing and going back, skipping ahead and adding new things in. This is why we as Montessori educators are always saying, "Well, we follow the child." That doesn't mean we follow the child to the block shelf all day long each day of the year. We follow the child based on that child's specific developmental ability, attention span, interest and capability.
With a child starting from the very beginning - it could look a little like this:
sequencing, matching, story-telling
sound games, rhyming
letter recognition, sound blending
pencil grip, shape formation, letter formation
trick words, reading a sentence
phonetic spelling (word) phonetic spelling (sentence)
It goes on from there - these "simple" sounding things can take years, to be specific - the three year cycle in which most Montessori classrooms function. Sometimes it takes less, sometimes more. Something important that can sometimes be overlooked, though, is the importance of every material in the classroom. Pin punching snowflakes develops that concentration and pincer grip needed to read and write. Building the Cube of the Trinomial calls upon outside of the box thinking (reading comprehension, layers of a story), tracing Metal Insets and drawing develops the hand motions needed to write the letters of the alphabet, table scrubbing forces children to practice an activity from left to right and prepares the brain for reading.