Montessori Language: Dwyer, AMI, PBG

An attempt at laying out the Dwyer, AMI and PBG Montessori learning-to-read/write-experiences alongside one another. 

Dwyer on the left; AMI Primary Language album in the middle; Pink/Blue/Green on the right.

Remember: Dwyer is a summary of the AMI approach (developed by Maria Montessori with minimally needed modifications for English); Pink/Blue/Green was developed from the ground-up for the sake of the English language (some statements are being made that Dr. Montessori commissioned it, or gave her blessing on it; on the flip side we have AMI not using it - history is unclear on this matter). 

ROUGH DRAFT form. Please share further insights!

Dwyer	AMI-style KotW	Pink/Blue/Green
(not included)	Prologue	varies with album set and training
	Education as an Aid to Life
	Development of Language (from Theory)
	Introduction to Language
	Introduction to Spoken Language
Aural Development (ages 0-4+)	Spoken: Vocabulary Enrichment
	Orientation Game	EPL Preparation Sensorial Preparation Special Units Card Sets
	Naming Objects in the Environment
	Collecting Classified Objects
	Practical Life Objects
	Parts of an Object
	Language of the Sensorial Materials
	Three Period Lesson
	Classified Cards - Social
	Related Objects Game - Presentations A & B
	Description/Definition Game
	Stories – Biological Classifications
	The Story of Living and Non-Living Matter
	The Story of Plants and Animals
	The Story of the Five Classes of Vertebrates
	Sorting Game – Biology Classifications
	Nomenclature Cards – Scientific
	Life Cycles
	Oral Language Games
Aural Development (ages 0-4+)	Spoken: Language Development	Oral Expression
	Storytelling	Storytelling
	Reading and Books in the Library
	Poems	Poetry
	Conversation	Conversation
	Question Game
	Cultural Folders
	Extension: fictional story telling
	Land and Water Form Folders
	Land and Water Form Outline Maps
	Biome Folders
	Art Folders
	My State
	Writing	Initial Sounds with Individual Sandpaper Letters – 3 ½+
	Introduction to Writing	Followed by Bins Cards Boxes Object Boxes Books Classification Boxes Movable Alphabet when “most of the initial sounds are known” – start writing 2-3 letter words at age 4. To control work: Use objects Use pictures
Aural Development (ages 0-4+)	Sound Games (ages 0-4)
	Sensitizing Fingers
Symbols for the Sounds (3 1/2 or so + )	Sandpaper Letters (3 1/2+)
Done WITH the above individual letters	Sandpaper Phonograms (Additional Sandpaper Letters) Simultaneous w/ individual letters
Typically around 4, earlier or later	Movable Alphabet (3 ½ - 4 to start writing full words with all 40-44 key sounds as well as “the”) Stages include alphabetizing, capitals, punctuation
Separate development (not in Dwyer)	Metal Insets (12 Stages) (3-5+)	Some metal inset at 2 ½ (are fingers prepped for holding pencil?)
	Small Metal Insets
	Map Making
	Writing - Art of Handwriting 3.5-5
Lightly touched on (hinted at) in Dwyer booklet	Sand Tray	sand tray
	Chalkboards
	Paper Material (10 stages)	Paper stages (some notes say the child should be able to read certain words already, corresponding with the pink/blue/green stages)
	Initial Strokes
	Green Boards (Initial strokes)
	Handwriting Charts – 6
	Book Making	making booklets
	Reading: Phonetic Reading (4 ½) (relatively quick stage)	Pink Series – age 4+ CVC word cards with: Picture Cards Picture boxes Objects Word lists Secrets Single Word books A, the Punctuation Capitals Alphabetizing Sentence cards Sentence Picture boxes Pink books Blue Reading (words with two consonants next to each other with no change in sound – still phonetic): Movable Alphabet Words Movable Alphabet Pictures Picture Card with Words Picture Boxes Objects Word lists Secrets Single Word Books Sentence Cards Sentence Pictures Boxes Blue Books
	Introduction to Reading
Dwyer: Object Box 1	Phonetic Object Box
Dwyer: “Beginning of Reading”	Phonetic Reading Cards
Dwyer: “Activity Word Game” (part 1)	Phonetic Reading Commands
Dwyer: “Beginning of Reading”	Phonetic Booklets
	Rhyming Words
	Reading: Phonograms (4 ½) can overlap phonetic above	Green Series:
Dwyer marks this as Object Box 2	Phonogram Object Box and Alphabet Boxes	Introduce digraph sandpaper letters Phonogram Word Cards Movable Alphabet Words with pictures (reg. MA)
(only hinted at)	Phonogram Shadow Box
Dwyer has “folders” for a version of these	Phonogram Booklets
	Phonogram Cards	Now use Phonogram Movable Alphabet: Word Picture Cards Word Picture Boxes Words and Objects Continue: Word lists Consonant digraphs Homophones X, Q Plethora of stages Command Words
(not covered in Dwyer???)	Phonogram Alphabet Exploration
Dwyer: “Activity Word Game” (part 2)	Phonogram Commands
Dwyer: kind of the Phonogram dictionary, but a bit different – would be great to do both versions	Research (5+)
	Spelling
	Dictionary
	Personal Dictionary
	Reading: Puzzle Words
Puzzle Words in Dwyer, under “The Test” (introduced with the movable alphabet according to AMI)	Puzzle Words (begins with Movable Alphabet; continues through to mastery – around 5)
	Reading Classification
Mentioned in Phonogram Dictionary and Dictation as parallel work.	Presentation I – Classifying the Environment	Green Reading Series: Environment Labels
	Presentation II – Cards with Labels
	A. Social
	B. Scientific
	C1. Biology Classifications: Living and Non-Living
	C2: Biology Classifications: Plant and Animal
	C3: Biology Classifications: Five Classes of Vertebrates
	Extension: Mix and sort - work up to 5 sets
	Presentation III – Definition Stages
	Reading: Function of Words
Mentioned in Phonogram Dictionary and Dictation as parallel work.	Introduction to Function of Words and Background	Noun
	Article and Noun	Articles
	Adjective	Adjectives
	Logical Adjective	Verbs
	Detective Adjective	Adverbs
	Conjunction	Prepositions
	Preposition	Pronouns
	Verb	Conjunctions
	Adverb	Interjections
	Logical Adverb
	Continuation of Commands
	Symbol and Phrase Game
	Word Study
Further exploration of reading skills and language exploration – much of this can and should be done orally to begin with (with some details left out to be discovered when the child can read for himself), so that the reading portion becomes a deeper work for the children as well as a way to enhance whole reading skills with something familiar. Mentioned in Phonogram Dictionary and Dictation as parallel work.	Introduction to Word Study
	Compound Words
	Suffixes
	Prefixes
	Word Families
	Adjectives
	Singular and Plural	(in grammar)
	Synonyms
	Antonyms
	Homophones	(included in green series?)
	Homographs
	Animal Collectives
	Animals and Their Young
	Animal Sounds
	Animal Homes
	Animal Families
	Contractions
	Reading Analysis
Dwyer: Listed under “Dictation”	Introduction to Reading Analysis
	Simple Sentences Stage I
	Simple Sentences Stage II
	Simple Sentences Stage III
	Musical Expression
Not touched on in Dwyer’s booklet.	Introduction to Musical Expression
	Notation with the Bells: whole step, half step, tetrachord
	Note Names with the Bells (Name Lessons with the Bells)
	Introduction to the Musical Staff: Staff, Ledger Lines, G-Clef
	Note Names on the Numbered Staff Board
	Note Names on the Unmarked Staff Board
	Unmarked Staff Boards – Parallel Exercise 1: Matching Cards with Bells
	Unmarked Staff Boards – Parallel Exercise 2: Nomenclature Cards
	Unmarked Staff Boards – Parallel Exercise 3: Grading
	Unmarked Staff Boards – Parallel Exercise 4: Descriptions/Definitions
	Composing on the Bells
	Reading Music
	Language Extension
Much of this work falls under real life experiences, aural and oral language development. We want the children to have real experiences so they have something to write about with the movable alphabet.	Who Am I?
	How to Teach a Song
	Clapping – Rhythm
	Introduction to Biology
	Introducing Animals
	Plant Study and Experiments
	Telling Time
Additionals particular to Keys of the Universe albums - not included in straight AMI albums or in Dwyer's booklet.	Appendix
	Language Scope and Sequence
	Language Materials List
	Master Copies