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From: mark@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: writing before reading
Message-ID: <3776@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Nov-83 02:21:50 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.3776
Posted: Mon Nov 14 02:21:50 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Nov-83 03:14:38 EST
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 24

Our children (2 and 6) go to a montessori school.  We think it
is very good (but make sure you get the right kind
of montessori: one (international==IMS) is rigid and stifling, 
the other (american==AMS) flexible and thoughtful).  

On the subject of reading they take an interesting approach:
write before you read.  The children are encouraged to write
stories early on, and that builds their vocabularies and makes
reading, when it comes, that much more fun.  The montessori
idea in this case is, I think, that the interest and ability
for writing comes before reading, so that is the order they 
should be approached.

Of course the writing has crazy spellings, and in general
I could not read what my daughter wrote at age 4.  But the
spellings were internally consistent and she was perfectly willing to 
read it to me.  The stories of a 4 and 5 year old are absolutely
wonderful.
-- 
spoken:	mark weiser
UUCP:	{seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!mark
CSNet:	mark@umcp-cs
ARPA:	mark.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay