PNMA hosts a 2 Session workshop on The Function of Words
The first session will consist of the background information on the children constructing their own language and then we will begin the specific activities that highlight the different parts of speech. In the second session, we will continue with the parts of speech.
There will be time for questions and discussion throughout, and all participants will receive a handout with all the quotations and photos that were in the presentation after the second session. This work is really fun for the children, and well worth the time spent on it. In addition, it prepares them for more advanced grammar that is introduced in the elementary years.
We expect to record 3 Merit Credits for this event, covering 2 sessions of 1.5 hours in Child Growth & Development.
Following the 1st Session on May 16, the PNMA Board will host a membership meeting and introduce the board members for 2022-23.
SESSION 1 May 16: A child constructs language in sequence
We will begin looking about how children universally learn language. This learning takes place through the efforts of the child, encouraged by their innate potentialities. We will investigate those potentialities and how the other people in the environment support this development. We will also delve into the amazing sequence of the child’s language development. By understanding these points, we can come to understand that the child is not taught language, but constructs it for herself. This construction comes from the surrounding spoken language that the child experiences, and we will delve into what the best practices are when speaking and responding to young children.
SESSION 2 May 23: A child prepares by oral activities for the parts of speech
Once this is established, we will delve into the Function of Words. Function of Words contains presentations (designed as games) that help the child understand that different kinds of words (nouns, adjectives, etc.) have different positions in phrases and sentences, and each different kind of word has a different task. This also highlights syntax (or word order) in English. As we move forward, we will cover preparing the children for this work through oral activities and the different activities that specifically highlight nouns, articles, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, verbs, and adverbs.
Presented by: Polli Soholt
Polli Soholt is an AMI Primary trainer and consultant, having worked, most recently, at the Montessori Teacher Training Center of Northern California. She is a highly-regarded author and experienced Montessorian of over 40 years. Her writings on the classroom, parent education, and Montessori have been published in numerous journals. She has been a primary Montessori teacher for 29 years, and was owner and administrator of the San Jose Montessori School for 36 years. Polli is leading MNW's Primary course in the Northern California's San Francisco Bay Area.
.png)
