In the last couple (now 3-4) weeks I have taken quite a few questions along the same lines and thought a blog post might be a great place to sort it all out ;)
1/7/12 - let me just reiterate right here - YOU have to decide what will work best for your family. My experience is
my experience; while much of my opinion is based on a seriously high amount of observation, even I find myself outside of statistics many times, so I will not lock anyone into them ;) I can only help guide you based on your situation ;)
Within the English-speaking Montessori homeschool world, there are 3 language development "schemes" (anyone have a better word for that!?) that are most prevalent. I am sure there are many variations on these, but as a homeschooler coming to the internet getting started on Montessori, here are the three you will find most often, of late:
(when I was first getting started and before I went to training, #3 was not readily available and I never came across #2, though it was available)
- Pink/Blue/Green - altogether the most prevalent. It was developed specifically for the English language and is heavily promoted by AMS (the Montessori organization with the strongest presence in the United States; and the most accessible to homeschoolers and new Montessori teachers). This system has to work because it is so prevalent, but it can be very overwhelming for new homeschooling parents, and tends to be heavily modified by each user because of these overwhelming aspects. It was not developed by anyone in the Montessori family (Maria, Mario, etc.), but is a specific response to the English language, in a Montessori-inspired manner. History is sketchy on the internet, but it seems to be in response to American-English, versus English in general or British-English (can someone please verify this for me!?). In any case, it may be more appropriate for schools (over homeschools) when seeking to apply it in a pure form. But I would personally not send my child to a school that uses this approach, if I want a true Montessori school.
- Dwyer Pamphlet - published by NAMTA - becoming more prevalent as families are really getting burned by the p/b/g work. I wrote up my first post about it here: Analysis of Dwyer booklet compared to AMI Primary Language Album. The emphasis of her pamphlet is "The Exploration of Language" - utilizing keys to unlock language. Keys - what Maria Montessori called her sensorial materials (keys to the world). And while it simplifies the process, it potentially over-simplifies it by mentioning some topics without going in-depth. The reason is that Muriel Dwyer summarized the approach that AMI uses; this booklet was never meant to be a complete step by step guide.
- AMI Primary Language Album - growing in prevalence only because certain AMI-trained Montessori teachers are taking AMI out of the cloistered elite and sharing it with the world. However, picked up straight by a homeschooling parent without Montessori training - it can feel almost as overwhelming as the p/b/g work. If you have a detailed scope and sequence with the album, you're much better off, but there can still be questions. Support and understanding of how the album works is growing.
- There are other resources as well, that seem to be variations on the above: Gettman, Montessori Read & Write, Hainstock's books, and the like. Much more user-friendly and designed to speak to the homeschooling mom, but not as complete as they could be. Excellent filler resources.
So overall - no one perfect solution for the homeschool mom who would like to pick up a straight-forward guide and run with it. Why is that? Because every child is different, thus modifications are necessary. The nice thing? There is plenty of online support available through e-mail groups and generous Montessori-trained teachers who want this work in the hands of homeschoolers.
Some other bloggers who have posted fantastic resources or reviews on the differences between pink/blue/green and the Dwyer pamphlet:
There are many more - and you are welcome to add your link below if you have a blog post/series up about it :)
Who developed each approach?
The booklet by Muriel Dwyer appears to be a(n excellent and useful) summary of the AMI approach, which would have been approved by Maria Montessori (2020 edit: Muriel Dwyer worked with Mario Montessori on this approach that works for *any* language for AMI to continue to use in non-purely-phonetic languages). The AMI language album is not heavily focused on learning a language in the same style as Italian - instead is truly keys-based in its exploration of any language. There are conflicting sources for who developed the pink/blue/green series and it seems to be a collaborative effort. I am unfortunately short on time to look much further at this time, but would love if someone else could share this information if they know it for sure :) (see comments)
I think that clarifies most of the questions I have received thus far, except one other main one:
If I want to follow your recommendation to use the AMI Primary Language with the Dwyer booklet, how do I do that?
ANSWER: The Dwyer booklet is like the framework, the how-to, and the areas of absolute emphasis; and most parents who are interacting with their children right now, will be able to apply it right away. However, there are some "meaty details" that, if you have the Primary Language album, you will have so many aha moments, that your children will wonder why you're so excited! ;)
DETAILS:
The Dwyer booklet corresponds with large portions of the Primary Language album in the following manner (see the chart below)
As you can see, the Dwyer booklet gives the framework and the main things to emphasize, allowing for you to see at a glance what is most important within the foundation. From there, you can better apply the primary language album pages. Best scenario: use a detailed scope and sequence with ages to determine what should be done within a general time frame (parallel works); then use Dwyer to see where in the framework that is, so you have your "place in the grand scheme of things"; and use the language album for your actual presentations.
I hope this all helps! Keep asking questions as they come up!
Dwyer on the left; AMI Primary Language album (
Keys of the World modified) on the right.
Note that where it says "mentioned" or "listed" in Dwyer, it means she refers to it, but provides no or very few details. The chart clearly shows that Dwyer summarized the AMI approach - they are the same, just a different level of detail.
(not included)
|
Prologue
|
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
|
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
|
Storytelling
|
Reading and
Books in the Library
|
Poems
|
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
|
|
Introduction
to Writing
|
Aural Development (ages 0-4+)
|
Sound Games
|
|
Sensitizing
Fingers
|
Symbols for
the Sounds (3 1/2 or so + )
|
Sandpaper
Letters
|
Done WITH
the above individual letters
|
Sandpaper
Phonograms (Additional Sandpaper Letters)
|
Typically
around 4, earlier or later
|
Movable
Alphabet
|
Separate
development (not in Dwyer)
|
Metal
Insets (12 Stages)
|
Small Metal
Insets
|
Map Making
|
|
|
|
Writing - Art of Handwriting
|
Lightly
touched on (hinted at) in Dwyer booklet
|
Sand Tray
|
Chalkboards
|
Paper
Material (10 stages)
|
Initial
Strokes
|
Green
Boards (Initial strokes)
|
Handwriting
Charts – 6
|
Book Making
|
|
|
|
Reading: Phonetic Reading
|
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
|
Dwyer marks
this as Object Box 2
|
Phonogram
Object Box and Alphabet Boxes
|
(only
hinted at)
|
Phonogram
Shadow Box
|
Dwyer has “folders”
for a version of these
|
Phonogram
Booklets
|
Phonogram
Cards
|
(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
|
|
Spelling
|
|
Dictionary
|
|
Personal
Dictionary
|
|
|
|
Reading: Puzzle Words
|
Puzzle
Words in Dwyer, under “The Test” (introduced with the movable alphabet
according to AMI)
|
Puzzle
Words
|
|
|
|
Reading Classification
|
Mentioned
in Phonogram Dictionary and Dictation as parallel work.
|
Presentation
I – Classifying the Environment
|
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
|
Article
|
Adjective
|
Logical
Adjective
|
Detective
Adjective
|
Conjunction
|
Preposition
|
Verb
|
Adverb
|
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
|
Synonyms
|
Antonyms
|
Homophones
|
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 World albums - not included in straight AMI albums or in Dwyer's booklet.
|
Appendix
|
Language
Scope and Sequence
|
Language
Materials List
|
Master
Copies
|
Related printable and physical materials available here:
I am getting a lot of off-blog questions - mostly along the same lines. I get wordy in my responses, but here is a quick response ;)
Can I just use the Dwyer booklet (summary of AMI)and not use the (AMI) full primary language album at all?
Yes. *If* you are looking to just focus on learning to read and write, and that's it. As a homeschooler you are probably already providing a rich language experience, just living life, using real vocabulary, reading with your child and having lots of real experiences.
Slightly longer answer: As you can see, the primary language album also includes music, science, as well as all the language studies that come
after learning how to read and write. Yes, there are variations on these in elementary, but these are primary level lessons here, and if you have time and a ready-child, the primary language album will serve you well. There is SO much more available in the AMI Primary language album.
It just depends on your situation :)
1/5/12 - See My Boys' Teacher's comment about the albums. This answer also depends which albums you are using.
Click here for a link to the Montessori Trails page correlating Dwyer with AMI with Pink/Blue/Green - aligned next to each other according to stages.
