Module 6

Q#1: How do we give the concept of grass letters, root letters, and sky letters to the child?

Grass,Root, and Sky letters

The lower case or small letters of the alphabet have different shapes and are “Positioned”
Differently when written on the four lined paper. The children in a Montessori classroom are
Shown how to differentiate between them according to their shape and position on the four lines
By giving separate names to similar shaped and position of the letters in order to improve
child’s
Awareness regarding the shape and position of the alphabets on the line, the child is introduced
To sorting exercises.The exercise which gives the child the concept of grass letters,root letters
And sky letters actually prepares the child indirectly for writing on paper since the child gets a
Clear concept of the place and position of each alphabet on the line.

The children are introduced to the proper placement of alphabets using equidistant for lines. A
large mat with four lines equidistant lines made on it with the help of ribbons or other such
material mounted on it to make straight lines is used. The top and bottom lines are pink and the
two center lines are aquamarine/blue (as on primary writing paper).

Early childhood and Learning

The successful environment for the language is created at home by the mothers and the
caregivers.Reading aloud for the child at home,gives the message to the child that reading is a
fun for him.Reading the story books for the child by his mother at home makes the meaning
clear and he knows how to use the word with the sense in his language.The child also builds his
vocabulary unconsciously through listening to story books from his mother which would never
come up in spoken language. Although reading and writing should not be taught to a child
before the age of six or seven,yet he is introduced to the concept of reading and writing by
giving the sensorial experiences of appropriate materials and sometimes as early as three or four
years of age.Since 99% of written language is in lower case latters. In the Montessori classroom
and at home the child should be taught firstly with the small alphabet rather then capital ( “a”
and “b”,not “A” and “B”).During the introduction of the small alphabet to the child the sounds
are pronounced instead of the words. In order to teach them letters, a teacher should categorize
into few groups.

. Grass letters (body letters)

. Sky letters (head letters)
. Root letters (tail letters)

Grass Letters
Letters which fit exactly between the two blue middle lines for example, ‘a’, ‘c’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’,etc
are known as the Grass Letters.
Sky Letters
Letters having a stem which goes up to the pink line are called sky letters, for example ,
‘b’, ‘d’, ‘h’, ‘k’ etc are known as the Sky Letters.

Root Letters
Letters having a stem which goes down to the pink line at the bottom for example
‘g’, ‘j’, ‘p’, ‘q’, ‘y’ etc, are known as Root Letters.

There is one more effective way to teach about all letters. Draw a sea horse or a big cat between
four lines on the board (black /white).Letters that can touch the head of cat is called sky (head)
letters.Letters those can touch the body of cat is called grass (body) letters. At the last those
who can touch the tail of cat is known as root(tail) letters.

Q#2- Write a detailed note on Montessori green boards and writing on paper exercises.

Green Boards
The Green Boards are an extension of the sandpaper letter lessons. First, the teacher gives
the child one-on- one lessons with three sandpaper letters at a time until the child is familiar
with all the letters. Then the child is able to play games with the letters, such as guessing which
letter the teacher is tracing in the air,writing the letters in sand, or tracing a letter blaindfolded,
making the sound of it, and having a friend verify the correct sound. The next step is for the
child to work with the Green Boards,which contain several letters on each board.

Purpose of Green Boards

The purpose of Green Boards is to help children understand the relationships between the
written letters-all the letters of a similar formation are grouped together on one Green
Board.This is how I grouped the letters (keep in mind that the letters are in cursive on the Green
Boards):

My Language manual’s description of the Green Boards is that they are similar to the sandpaper
letters in terms of the size of the letter and the fact that the letters are made of sand, to be traced
by the child. Instead of on red boards (consonants) or blue boards (vowels),they are all
on,waiting
for it… green boards.
Materials for Chalkboard Work
.Small tray,large enough to make a sandpaper letter.
.Tray with chalk in a holder, an eraser, a dust cloth, and a hand cloth.
.The second board has one side ruled in squares and the other ruled in horizontal lines.
.The first board is blank on one side and ruled to guide the placement of letters on the other
side.
.Set of green chalkboards 32cm 50cm each.
.Enough sand in the tray to cover the bottom.
.Sandpaper letters and numerals.
.Preparatory Exercise
.Invite one child to come and work with you.
.You and the child choose one sandpaper letter and bring it to the table .
.Then go and get the tray of sand and place it to the right of the sandpaper letter.
.Trace the sandpaper letter . Repeat two to three times.
.Tell the child that you are going to trace a letter in the tray.
.Move the tablet over the left.
.Slide the tray in the front of you and trace the same letter into the sand.
.Show the child that you have made the same letter. Show the child how to “make it disappear”
by gently shaking the tray from side to side but keeping the tray on the table.Child can continue
making the letter in the sand.
.Have the child trace the sandpaper letter and then make the letter in the sand.
Once he is comfortable tracing the letter in the sand, ha can than work on stylus and writes few
of the letters in the sand he is ready to begin with the chalkboard work.

Presentation 1:Blank Board

Material:
.Blank Board and chalk tray
.Sandpaper letters

Presentation
.Invite one child to come and work with you.
.Tell him that you will be using something to help us to write.
.Introduce the child to the chalkboard and have him carry it to the table.
.Then have him bring the box with the eraser,etc and place it in the middle of the chalkboard.
.Then have the child sit to your left.
.Take out all of the material and place it above the chalkboard.
.Then place the tray also above the chalkboard.
.Trace the sandpaper letter a few times.
 .Use the chalk and write the sandpaper letter multiple times on the board in a
straight,horizontal
Line.
.Erase the letters written in an up to down, left to right manner.
.Use the dust cloth (hold as in Practical Life) and wipe board .
.Replace it.
.Take the terry cloth and clean your hands.Replace it.
.Move every thing over so the child can write the same sandpaper letter.
.Suggest to the child that they may keep writing this letter.
.If the child seems very comfortable writing this letter, you may show them another letter.If
not,
Waite for a future time.
.Once done, show the child how to put away the material.
.If the clothes are dirty, you will need to change them.
.Encourage the child to continue practicing from time to time.

Exercise
This game is to be done in a group.The directress would have the children sit in a circle
around
a mat.She would then hand out the material (for example one cube of the Pink Tower to each
child).The children hold the cube behind their backs and feel them.The directress would then
ask for the largest cube to be placed on the mat.By feeling their cube, the children are being
asked to feel for the recognition of the sizes of the cubes. Continue asking for certain cubes
working your way from the biggest cube to the smallest cube,until all the cubes have been
placed on the mat.

Presentation 2:Square Board

Material
.Chalkboard with squares and chalk tray
.Sandpaper letters.

Presentation .Following the same procedure ,show the child how to write a single letter or
numeral in a square.
.The same letter will be repeated across the row.
The child may choose to make the same letter over the entire board.Or she may choose to have
a different letter for each row.
.Some children will find doing the whole board too much,so the child can build up to it as they
are ready.

Exercise
Child works with the board as shown.
Presentation 3: Double Guide Lines Board
Material
.Double guide line board and chalk tray
Sandpaper letters
Presentation
As before
.Show the child how to place the body of a letter between the two lines and show how the stem
goes above the line and the tail goes below.
.On the first set of lines,do a letter with only a main body.On the second line, make a letter with
a stem, and on the third line, make a letter with a tail.