Abstract/Notes: Montessori preschool children who are English Language Learners (ELL) age three to five, consisting of one female and six males. It was conducted in two different preschool classrooms, focusing on literacy skills as well as oral communication skills. The direct aim of the study was to help children successfully learn English as their second language while keeping their native language. Researchers also investigated whether parental involvement increased the ability of ELLs to learn the English language. Data collection procedures utilized were: (1) parent interviews, (2) observation and anecdotal records, (3) pretest, and (4) post-test. A take-home literacy kit was used to measure the effectiveness of parental involvement. Researchers also provided a take-home literacy kit for parents to work on with their child at home. Parents were given a total of four literacy kits, one new kit each week. Result of this research indicated an improvement in parent and child interaction. The take-home literacy kit fostered communication between parent and child because words were translated in their home language. Over the course of four weeks, children showed great interest in literacy and progress in their communication skills.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014

Abstract/Notes: Foreign language learning has been a part of German elementary schools for several years now. Montessori schools focusing on individual learning, i.e. mostly independent from the teacher and based on auto-education, interest, and free choice, are also asked to teach an L2. The original lack of a concept of L2 learning for this environment has brought forth different approaches. Bilingual education seems to be feasible and applicable in Montessori education. The downside to this is that even in a bilingual classroom the Montessori way of learning may not allow for very much oral production of the foreign language. The role of L2 production (cf. Swain 1985, 1995, 2005) for language acquisition has been theoretically claimed and empirically investigated. Output can have a positive influence on L2 learning (cf. e.g. Izumi 2002, Keck et al. 2006). This also applies to interaction (cf. Long 1996), where negotiation of meaning and modified output are factors supporting L2 development (cf. e.g. de la Fuente 2002, McDonough 2005). Task-based Language Learning (TBLL) presents itself as one way to promote oral language production and to provide opportunities for meaning-negotiation. Especially tasks with required information exchange and a closed outcome have been shown to be beneficial for the elicitation of negotiation of meaning and modified output. This paper argues that TBLL is a promising approach for the facilitation of L2 production and thus the development of speaking skills in a Montessori context. It also hypothesizes that TBLL can be implemented in a bilingual Montessori environment while still making the Montessori way of learning possible. Different tasks on various topics, examples of which are presented in this article, can lay the foundation for this. Offering such tasks in a bilingual Montessori elementary classroom promises to foster language production and the use of communication strategies like negotiation of meaning, both being facilitative for L2 acquisition. This hypothesis remains to be tested in future research.

Language: German

DOI: 10.13092/lo.54.284

ISSN: 1615-3014

Abstract/Notes: This action research project examined the effects of sign language on the ability of primary students to learn new Spanish vocabulary in a bilingual Montessori classroom. The research took place at a public charter Montessori school in Washington, District of Columbia. Twenty-seven primary school aged children were included in this seven-week study. Sources of data collection included a parent-teacher questionnaire, a baseline assessment, daily observation logs, a daily checklist, a weekly journal, and a summative assessment. Students were grouped by Spanish fluency and taught eight different vocabulary words in Spanish. Half of the words were taught alongside a sign in American Sign Language and the other half were taught without an accompanying sign. The summative assessment data showed that students of all ages displayed a significant increase in their ability to recall new Spanish vocabulary words that were introduced with an accompanying sign in American Sign Language. Future research could examine the roles of sign language and gesturing in helping children recall vocabulary in the long-term.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: This study examined the influences of balanced language approach applied at Montessori kindergarten on children's language ability. This is a response to the need of diverse researches on Montessori language education and aims to provide basic materials to improve children's language ability. For the study, 60 children of five-year old participated for 8 weeks. The experimental group received Montessori language education with the balanced language approach program and the control group received general Montessori language education, The study found that the experimental group performing both Montessori language education and balanced language approach program showed significantly higher scores in language ability than the control group having Montessori language education. / 본 연구의 목적은 몬테소리 언어교육과 관련하여 다각적인 응용연구가 이루어져야 할 필요성에 따라 몬테소리 유치원에 적용한 균형적 언어 접근법이 유아의 언어능력에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 알아봄으로써 유아의 언어능력을 향상시킬 수 있는 기초자료로 제공하고자 한다. 이를 위하여 유치원 만 5세 유아 60명을 대상으로 8주간의 실험처치로 실험집단에서는 몬테소리 교육의 언어활동과 균형적 언어 접근 프로그램을 병행하여 실시하고 비교집단에게는 일반적인 몬테소리 교육의 언어활동을 실시하였다. 연구결과, 몬테소리 교육의 언어활동과 균형적 언어 접근 프로그램을 병행한 실험집단이 몬테소리 교육의 언어활동만을 실시한 비교집단보다 언어능력의 점수에서 통계적으로 유의하게 높은 것으로 드러났다.

Language: Korean

ISSN: 1226-8119, 2734-0074

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

ISSN: 0010-700X

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: German

ISSN: 0944-2537