According to Maria Montessori, children naturally gravitate towards activities that are beneficial for their psychic development.
A sensitive period is a time when a child can very quickly and with pleasure learn a particular character. The role of the parent is to identify these phases in order to offer the child an appropriate environment and activities.
The sensitive period of language begins before the birth of the child. Indeed , in utero, the baby already distinguishes voices, sounds, music, in the womb of its mother.
Language learning is divided into three main cycles :
- from prenatal life to the pronunciation of the first words;
- from the acquisition of spoken language to written and read language;
- learning grammar and structuring sentences.
It is a long and diffuse apprenticeship whose finality can be explosive! Indeed, the child absorbs everything he sees, hears, experiences, tries to decipher and one day, he knows how to speak or read a word!
The child does not have a predisposition to learn a particular language at birth. On the other hand, he has a language creation mechanism that allows him to learn any language , easily, if he is exposed to it. This is why it is essential to expose him , from his birth, to a language so that he can assimilate it.
“ The child does not come with language, but with the mechanism of creating language, if exposed to it. » Charlotte Poussin , Montessori educator graduated from the International Montessori Association.
Scoring is a key step in this process. The child points to an object and names it to communicate. When he understands that the object still exists while he no longer sees it (concept of object permanence ), he can name it without pointing. We see here how essential language learning is, because it structures thought. Taking a distance offers the mental representation which then makes it possible to solve problems, understand one's emotions,...
“ Thought develops through words. » Charlotte Poussin
In addition, good communication skills will facilitate the socialization of the child who will thus be more comfortable in his environment.
“ Language is of such importance in social life that we can consider it to be its very basis. » Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori wrote that the child moves naturally towards speech. However, he must be stimulated to appropriate the language. Thus, it is recommended to talk to him a lot, from an early age.
For example, it may be wise to describe to him in detail everything we are doing when he observes us , to sing, to read books to him, to comment on everything that is happening around you...
Let 's also remember that the child learns by imitation, so let's not hesitate to use a rich and varied vocabulary . Let's talk to him like we would talk to an adult.
In addition, it is not only a question of talking, but also of offering him active and benevolent listening. Let's invite him to express himself, explain his needs and desires and congratulate him when he progresses without being in a process of results.
Sources:
- Montessori: from birth to 3 years , Charlotte Poussin, Eyrolles.
- https://www.mes-jeux-educatifs.fr/blog/montessori-periode-sensible-langage.htm
- https://www.parents.fr/bebe/eveil-et-developpement/le-langage-de-bebe/montessori-eveiller-le-langage-de-son-enfant-13897
- https://www.association-montessori.lu/le-developpement-du-langage-et-le-plurilinguisme/