The Franklin Montessori School
Forest Hills Campus
4473 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Phone 202.966.7747, Fax 202.966.8508

Language is an integral part of the entire Montessori preschool curriculum at Franklin. Stories, songs, poems along with conversations with adults and peers help children increase their vocabulary and develop oral language skills. Classroom teachers are conscientious models for their students and are careful to use correct pronunciation, grammar and syntax. Through activities with teachers and fellow students, children gain confidence and independence as they learn to identify the objects in our classroom. Social studies, science and geography help children develop and apply specialized language. Vocabulary enrichment continues with materials and activities that help the child learn the names of everything from animals and musical instruments to vegetables and boats.

Children first acquire written language skills by learning the phonetic sound of each letter. Using inviting, hands-on materials the children progress by classifying objects based on their sounds and then begin putting these sounds together to create words. Once they have learned to create their own words, reading follows quickly. The children work with increasingly more challenging materials. As they progress with their reading, the focus turns to comprehension and grammar. With the development of language, children develop a greater ability to organize their thoughts and express their unique personalities.