Focus
The pleasure of words and active pedagogies
From the second year of preschool, children write their own words.
In our nursery schools, we encourage children to write their words. How do we proceed? What tools are offered? Are there limits? How do we motivate the children? How do children engage in writing through sensory and emotional approaches? This article will give you a glimpse into how all of this unfolds here.
Explications :
Hearing sounds and discovering graphic signs
The first "theoretical" framework of reference is that of the Montessori method. This method offers an intuitive and practical approach that allows children to first train their ears to discriminate the smallest sound in the language (the phoneme). When they can isolate sounds in the words they hear, it is time to introduce the image of that sound to them. Rough letters are a perfectly suited multisensory tool: children are encouraged to touch, trace with their fingers, and pronounce the sound of the graphic symbol. For oral language development (phonology), the concept of an alphabet with letter names is not used. Similar to musical notes, each sound has a name but also a pitch. It is this pitch that will be associated with the graphic symbol. For example, "L" will be presented as "llll" and not "el." Through practice, children become familiar with the sound-image association and automatize it.
Writing a word while listening to its sounds
Once children can make a difference between different sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words, and they are familiar with some graphic symbols, they can begin to truly write their first words. In the Montessori approach, these words are often short and simple (no complex sounds, no silent "e"). This helps give children the confidence to continue the exercise.Generally, the process involves segmenting a word into sounds, and then they can write or use the movable alphabet to compose the word. For example, if a child wants to write the word "bus," they would segment the word into sounds, "b" "u" "s," and not "b," "u," "s." The letters need to be sounded out. Children will search in their repertoire of sound-images for the symbols that will allow them to transcribe what they hear, what they pronounce.The movable alphabet supports this writing task. Drawing can be a challenging exercise for some children, and movable letters can provide relief. Their use emphasizes the phonetic writing of the word rather than the perfection of the graphic gesture.
Go further...
Now, children are more or less autonomous in writing words on their own. There are still some areas that are a bit unclear, especially for "ou," "ai," and the famous "eau" in "bateau" (boat). It is entirely possible to introduce these graphemes directly and to quickly clarify to the children how they are written. It might seem like a lot, but it appears that children appreciate accuracy, so there is also a need to approach it with confidence.The same applies to grammar: it is acceptable to specify that at the end of a plural noun, an "s" is needed, without necessarily going into details.
Projects to stimulate the pleasure of writing
Nothing engages children more than offering this exercise within the framework of a project close to their interests. At this point, the Reggio approach comes into play. A few months ago, a project called "Magical Potions" was introduced to our Kindergarten pupils. Until then, in phonology, we had already played many discrimination games, and some graphic symbols had been introduced (in parallel with drawing). At no point had the children expressed a desire to write words. When the children were offered the opportunity to write the names of the ingredients needed for their potion recipe, many were eager to write. The lists were sometimes long for some, but regardless of the complexity of the word, they were motivated, and that was a success!
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