Tuesday 28 April 2020

Give Them Words


Give Them Words by Michelle Kemp

In South Africa, we are facing a crisis of literacy with many children and even adults being unable to read or write. We are all searching for strategies that can magically solve this issue as quickly as possible. However, one question we should be asking is “How can someone read without words?”
How many words do we use in a day, an hour? How many words are we exposing our children to?
Too often, children are only spoken to in short sentences or commands: dinner is ready, sit down, do your work. Yet then we expect them to write colourful essays on a variety of topics, when they reach primary school. 
We are not giving children the tools to succeed. 
There have been multiple research studies linking reading and speaking to children, specifically the variety of words used, with their later success in academic ability. Simply put, the more words a child hears, the more likely they are to succeed. 
In today’s world of text messaging and social media, we tend to limit our speech to the word count on our apps. We are losing words rapidly and our vocabulary is shrinking. Why use ten words when one word or even an emoji will do? 
What we fail to comprehend is that every word that a child is exposed to is building a connection within their brain. Every new word is teaching them to comprehend and seek meaning within a context. Every new word is opening up the possibility for future use. If small children can be exposed to an ever widening vocabulary then they will have the option for using those words, but even more important, they will have built the neural pathways that enable them to learn new words. The child cannot use these pathways if they are not created in early childhood. They cannot utilise a wider vocabulary in their written work, if they have not first heard the words used. We are not expecting every child to remember and use every word they hear, but rather use these words to develop their brain for language ability. It can be likened to a farmer sowing seeds: not all will grow into trees, but he will not have any trees at all if he just sits inside. 
Sadly even our books are suffering, with a trend to simpler language, indeed ‘dumbing it down’ for children because they may not understand every word. The only way to learn new words is to introduce them and then allow the child to try to ascertain their meaning. This should not be suddenly attempted during vocabulary lessons or spelling tests. We are doing a disservice to children by not exposing them to more complex words in everyday life. If a child’s mental word bank is overflowing, if they have made multiple neural connections for different words and understand how they connect together; then we are enabling their success. 
How can we expect children to read, write or even speak; if we do not give them the words to do so? So let us talk to our children. Let them hear us use new words without turning it into a vocabulary lesson, just showing that we find joy in utilising our robust language. Let them hear us speaking with the correct syntax and eloquence that we hope to one day see in their writing. Let us embrace language before we lose the beauty of words to some emoji or lol. Let us enable the young children in our care to receive the blessing of speech in all its infinite wisdom and beauty in order to strive to reach the powerful goal of literacy to its fullest potential. 
Let us give each child the gift of words. 


Activities to Promote Oral Language: (To be played as group games. Practice that only one person can answer at a time as well as waiting for a turn to speak)
Orientation Game: help the child learn the names of things and where they go. Ask “Where is the ….?” The child will tell you where the object is in the house. This can be simple or complex depending on the group. Use logical groupings such as brushes: paintbrush, hairbrush, nailbrush
News Time: During a family meal or other time that you are all sitting together, allow each person to go around and share some news, no matter how trivial. This could be done at dinner to discuss what each person did that day or at any other time to just share something interesting. Show interest in even the most mundane topics (“I have a dog”) and treat the News Times as a formal event: the person speaking stands and shares their news, everyone else is silent and listens attentively; the speaker asks for questions and then answers any questions politely. This can include an object to show everyone, such as an artwork made, but in general should not be as the focus must be on the spoken word. 
Question Game: Make a simple statement then ask questions
“A man went to the beach” 
Start with questions found in the statement: “Where did the man go?” and “Who went to the beach?”
Then become more abstract, “Why did he go to the beach? What did he do at the beach?”
There are not right or wrong answers, it is about building comprehension skills and enhancing creative writing skills; enabling the child to create a story from a simple idea or a research project from a single question.

Command Game: Give instructions that vary in complexity based on the ability of the child. Such as “Please bring me a red jug” to “Please hop on one foot to the bathroom and bring the pink hairbrush then put it in the blue basket in the lounge”. This can be led by older children once they have some practice.
Classification Extension Game: Select a category for the game, such as animals, cars, colours, hooved mammals or any other topic of interest. Then each person has a turn to name something in that category (cat, dog, mouse, elephant) (Ferrari, mini cooper, bakkie) (pink, lavender, cerise) (zebra, impala, waterbuck). This continues until no one can think of another example. If an object is incorrectly mentioned then gently say “I like dolls too, they are a type of toy, and maybe we can do types of toys next time we play this game”. 
An extension of this for older children and adults is the Categories Game: Select 5 or so categories such as car, animal, book, colour and famous person. Then have little slips of paper, each with one letter of the alphabet on. Draw a slip then everyone has to complete all categories with an example that starts with that letter (Mazda, Manatee, Marley and Me, Mauve and Marilyn Monroe) 
Another extension that can be for any age is the Association Game: Name one thing and then the next person has to say something that associates with that thing: Tea – Biscuit – Sugar – Sweets. Continue for as long as you can.
A fun way to encourage language is to make stories together: each person can add one part of the story such as one sentence. This can lead to some hilarious stories. 
There is also an amazing book called The Ultimate Alphabet which has a page of items for each letter that have to be found. This has some challenging words so it really expands vocabulary with over a thousand words for the letter ‘s’ on the page. 
All of these games introduce new vocabulary, but there are many other ways to expand vocabulary. For instance, naming the environment where you go around and name everything you see (this can be basic like door or more complex such as parts of a door handle). 
This is also a perfect time to expand vocabulary that relates to parents’ interests such as naming the different art mediums used in painting or the parts of a motorbike. Another way is to describe what you are doing in detail using the correct terminology: “I am using this whisk to aerate the egg whites for my meringue” 
Any activity in which you introduce new words will greatly help your child and this is a wonderful time when we are all together to increase the amount that we talk to one another. 
Have fun learning new words 


Tuesday 7 August 2018

I have been asked a lot recently 'what is Montessori, what does it actually mean in the classroom?' I have a lot of different answers and I sometimes struggle to put it all into focus. If I could express Montessori in just one way, what would it be?
This can to a head after a frustrating day of trying to enable others to see my vision of Montessori; I found myself unable to truly explain it, and I was feeling exhausted. I sat down and instead of switching on the TV or picking up a book, I picked up a pen instead. Something I had not done in far, far too long. Inspiration arrived and I quickly scribbled out this poem which for me truly encompasses the true message of Montessori: Follow the Child.

Let's follow the child today, in every single way
Let's follow the child today, that’s what Maria would say.
Let’s stop looking up on the shelves
Making curriculum and planning it for ourselves
Let’s stop looking up, at diplomas on the wall
Dreaming of big awards and standing tall
Let’s look down instead, let our feet guide
Look for the child, and the fragile heart inside
What does this child need from me today?
How can I serve, and guide them the right way?
Not what lessons or knowledge to impart
That’s not why I’m here; instead, I’ll follow their heart
I'll follow their lead but stay one step ahead
Ready to catch them if they fall or set them free to fly instead
I’m here for them, not leading tall
But stooping down to follow one so small
I’m following the child; I will find their new trail
I will see where they lead and trust they won’t fail
Trust that it will be the best, as they know what they need
I’m following the child; it’s the only way I’ll succeed.

Michelle Kemp

30-July-2018

For me, this was truly an inspirational moment as I felt a sense of calm wash over me. I realized that not only did I need to write more, purely for myself and to relax, but I also need to have faith that my vision of Montessori is possible and that I can achieve it if I just stay true to my beliefs. 

Thursday 4 August 2016

Sensitive Periods

Maria Montessori used the term Sensitive Periods to describe periods of a child's life when he/she is sensitive to specific types of knowledge or skills. This sounds very scientific and it is, but it is also an incredible thing to witness. One of the most often missed periods is the one for written language. This is when the child is fascinated by letters and is excited to learn to write.Surprisingly this occurs at around four years old, much younger than most children learn to write in traditional schools. This period is clear to see. I witnessed it first hand this week. A young girl of nearly four started to find letters all around her. She wanted to write her name so I showed her how; then she started decorating her pictures with letters. She found letters all around the classroom and was so thrilled to be able to recognise them. It was like she had sunglasses on and she has just taken them off to see the letters in neon lights. It was amazing. This child had not shown much interest in letters previously but now her whole world had opened up. I jumped on the opportunity and we worked on writing letters; she was so enthusiastic that she just wanted to carry on and do more letters. She didn't get tired of all the hard work but seemed energised by the excitement of learning. All due to her entry into a sensitive period. It is amazing to be able to capture this energy and excitement to guide the child's learning.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Exam Moments

I have had an amazing last week of school. It is incredible to sit back and realise what these wonderful children have learnt. I decided to give the children 'exams' at the end of this term. This was just to practice exam writing and to show them that exams are not scary; not for grading. We did the whole set up with getting pencils ready, drinking beforehand etc. They were so excited that they nagged me for days before about when it would be finally time for their exams. These children range from 6 - 9 years so I had prepared exams based on their levels. On the day of the exam, I had four 5 and a half-year-olds also beg for an exam so I had to quickly write one for them as well. They were so enthusiastic. I had offered that they could go spend time in the pre-primary and do 'easy' work but they were so keen for the exam, I had to give them a chance. The exam went amazingly well. The children were all so well behaved and eager to do their best. They also did incredibly well and achieved good marks (not the point but still good to see). After the exam, they were all so proud and eager to share their experience. The next morning when they arrived at school, they ALL asked me for another exam. It sounds crazy but it's true. They are so excited about learning that even exams are fun. What amazing kids.

I love those books with funny exam answers so I have to share a few of my favourites from these exams:

Question: Draw a food chain - Answer: He drew all different food holding hands in a chain
5-year-old boy

Question: How many shapes are there - Answer: Lots
7-year-old girl

Question: Write 'th' words - Answer: think, that, thousand - I loved this moment in the exam - this six-year-old boy was trying to remember his 'th' phonogram words and suddenly I saw his face light up. He looked around at me and quickly went back to his paper - I knew something was up so I went over to check his work, He looked up at me, looked down at his paper, looked up at the poster we have on the wall of the decimal system and then quickly back at me. He had copied the word thousand from the poster. I know a lot of teachers would correct this as a cheat but I just admired his innovative thinking. He sat looking at me with a guilty grin, waiting for the hammer to fall, but I just smiled and walked away. The fact that he could find a 'th' word in a big poster in the classroom was enough for me, especially as he is only six. We encourage the children to think for themselves, I will not discourage them when they do so.

The whole point of the exam was to realise that exams are not scary, they are a life skill: the children all achieved that and I am so proud of them.

Friday 17 June 2016

We all have those moments, when it feels like you are banging your head against a concrete wall full of metal spikes. When it doesn't seem to matter how many times you speak, there is no one out there to listen.
This is true in everyday life but especially in the classroom. We all have those moments when we wonder where we have gone wrong and why these sweet children have suddenly turned into deaf monsters? I had this experience this week. It is nearly the end of term and we have had a very rainy miserable week. The children were fed up being indoors and I was fed up with having to talk ten times. It was a moment when it felt like there has been a mass memory wipe of all the rules and beautiful routines being established. Where has all the Montessori magic of an ordered class gone? I remember visiting a Montessori school when I was first qualified and it resembled this chaos. There were children choosing the simplest work or just wondering around with no visible purpose, the noise level was headache inducing and the classroom just looked a mess. I remember thinking 'how can this be a Montessori class with normalised children and an ordered environment?' What I didn't realise at the time, when I judged the school far too harshly in my mind, was that life happens. Montessori has ideals that we strive for but every classroom in the world has days like mine. I stood amongst the chaos in my class and took a deep breath and instead of blaming myself, I decided to forgive myself. These are young children and it is okay to have days like this sometimes. So instead of trying to force these full of unused energy bouncing beans to sit and work; I asked everyone who wanted to use some energy to stand up. I put my CD player on and we danced for about twenty minutes. Did this help our math lesson plan or teach us a new grammar symbol? No. Did it help the sanity of everyone involved, I think so. I think we need moments like this. We need to get over ourselves and our perfect ideals. We are not perfect and neither is life. Some moments we just have to go with the flow and be happy in our imperfection.

Thursday 19 May 2016

Moments of Wonder...
There are moments when you are working with children, that you just have to step back and wonder. Those moments when you are completely amazed by what is going on around you. It is too easy to get caught up with lesson plans and presentations that you forget the wonder of teaching. The fact that these children are learning so much from you.
This happened to me today.
I was doing a group lesson on soil erosion. I had just finished explaining that soil takes a long time to form and we need to respect it. Then two of the younger children in the group had comments that just made me smile and marvel at how incredible children can be. One child exclaimed "Yes, the soil is important, it has nutrients for the plants' and the other followed this with "And if there were no plants then there would be no oxygen for us to breathe". These were both five and a half-year-olds. I was stunned. I had to just sit quietly for a moment and marvel at their knowledge and understanding.
These are the moments that make being a teacher so worthwhile. I love it.

Saturday 14 May 2016

What is Montessori to me?

What is Montessori? Is it a dinosaur? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it an expensive school down the road from you?
Montessori means many things to different people. To me, Montessori is a way of life. I have lived Montessori, even before I knew the name.
To be technical: Montessori is a method of education developed by Maria Montessori over a hundred years ago. Yet it is so much more.
Montessori is being able to marvel at the miracle of life, even when your miracle is throwing a tantrum that could wake sleeping beauty. Montessori is taking the chance to explain the difference between a moth and a butterfly while you are cooking a complicated dinner. Montessori is doing a happy dance when a child finally understands personification. Montessori is making the time for the little moments: the walks in the garden, the real-get-down-to-their-level-listening (even if only to hear the exciting news that they have a banana in their lunchbox) and yes, laughing at the knock-knock jokes you have heard a million and one times. Montessori is feeling refreshed after a complex lesson because you know the children enjoyed it. Montessori is science experiments (even if they don't work the way they were supposed to), playing in the dirt to learn about rocks, using 'pretty' beads to find square roots, making volcanoes just because we have vinegar and bicarb in the cupboard, being excited to go to school because you have a new phonogram to teach and just enjoying the learning process. Montessori is learning for life. It is not in a classroom or textbook. It is not even confined to children. I am a Montessori adult. Everyday I learn something new and I am excited by my life of learning. Today I learnt how to create a blog. Who knows what I will learn tomorrow...