In Praise of Specials
How Wellan's Specials Curriculum Supports Language Acquisition in Primary
By Jen Cardy & Jen Taschereau, Primary Division Leader & Specials Division Leader
Some of the trickiest questions to answer when working with students are what to teach and when to teach it. As Montessorians, we individualize our approach for every child. Even Wellan’s young Primary students routinely work 1:1 with their teachers; use personalized, co-created work plans (verbal or written); and have time to follow their particular interests. They are simultaneously guided towards less-preferred activities, encouraged to observe their peers, and practice reflecting on their progress and learning styles.
All this before the age of 6?!
Luckily Maria Montessori left teachers something of a road map in her theory of development.
Sensitive Periods in Child Development
Montessori’s theory indicates that, as we grow, humans work through a series of “sensitive periods.” During these periods, we are more drawn to particular (and somewhat predictable) sets of challenges and skills, because our brains are ready and waiting to take in specific kinds of input. Children move through these sensitive periods at their own pace, spending different amounts of time and focus in each area according to their needs and available resources (both internal and external). Learning can happen outside of the sensitive periods; but when teaching aligns with sensitivities, growth is more efficient and more gratifying.
As a matter of best practice, Montessori teachers and environments offer materials and lessons that appeal to these developmental periods while also strengthening core skills–the learning that results during each 3-year cycle is deep and joyful! Our job as teachers involves understanding the sensitive periods and encouraging relevant exploration so that, as much as possible, we are working with children’s natural impulses rather than against them. In other words: Children’s intrinsic motivation to become proficient and independent gives teachers direction, and the varied ways in which the sensitive periods manifest highlight that it is essential for children to know and explore a wide array of tools for self-regulation, self-expression, and making connections.
This is why Wellan’s Specials are essential parts of the Primary curriculum!
Rather than relying exclusively on classroom-based instruction, Wellan’s Primary program carves out time for weekly Specials classes. Our Specialist Team works closely with homeroom teachers to enhance the children’s experience and, when it comes to designing learning moments for children ages 3-6, they lean in to students’ orientation towards sensory input, movement, and language just as Maria Montessori suggested. Because she also emphasized how important it is that children’s work feel (and in fact be) purposeful, we introduce reading and writing, for example, as more than sounds and letters on a page. Since our students already know that the value of learning to read and write is being able to voice one’s thoughts and exchange ideas, they readily embrace the language extensions Specialists provide. Through Specials, students realize that they can tell stories and connect to other people in a variety of ways, using color, sound, texture, gestures, patterns, instruments, games, and additional vocabulary. And, because they are in the sensitive period for language, they eagerly acquire these additional “languages.”
Why These Particular Specials?
Each week at Wellan, Primary students attend five carefully chosen Specials classes: Physical Education, Music, Art, Library, and Spanish. And while each class focuses on subject-specific content with its own inherent value, they always present it with an eye towards the sensitive periods for sensory exploration, movement, and especially language acquisition. Specials are not a break from the academic curriculum; they are an additional pathway to engage, inspire, and scaffold skills that serve students well beyond their 6th birthdays, particularly when it comes to language as communication and self-expression.
A quick look into each Special brings the layers to light:
During Primary Library, students immerse themselves in stories and songs. Some of the stories reinforce concepts they encounter in the classroom, and all of the stories model how storytelling is a way to share and connect with others. In addition to listening to carefully curated read-alounds, students choose books based on their personal interests. The opportunity for personal choice and ownership positively impacts student motivation as they work steadily towards being able to read their selections.
During Primary Spanish, students begin learning a second language at a time when their orientation towards language is at its peak. Students are exposed to Spanish using call-and-response activities, concrete manipulatives, movement, dance, and song in order to build early literacy and cultural awareness. When students encounter the fact that there is more than one way to say something, they begin to understand that we have agency over how we communicate with others.
Primary Physical Education offers activities that build fundamental gross-motor skills and lay a foundation for healthy living. Children are driven to move at this age, and PE provides an active space within which they can practice turn-taking, working together, and self-advocacy. Even as they work on PE skills like throwing and balancing, students acquire new language focused on body positioning, movement, and teamwork. They also learn to transmit and pay attention to physical cues, which are an important language in themselves.
In Primary Music, students sing, dance, and explore musical instruments. Lessons focus on keeping a steady beat, feeling comfortable singing out, and learning new, thematic vocabulary as song lyrics. Students practice finger-plays and gestures that enhance motor control and coordination, and they use their bodies and voices to express ideas and emotions. As they prepare to perform in Festival of Lights, students even consider what they are saying and showing to their audience. Through the language of music, students gain access to another way of sharing themselves and connecting with others.
During Primary Art, students practice self-expression and develop confidence through sensory exploration with various mediums. They experiment with materials, make decisions about how their compositions will look, and discover that art offers a safe space where there are no “right” or “wrong” answers–sometimes the sky is blue, and sometimes it needs to be purple or rainbow! In Art, students acquire the language of light, color, texture, space, line, and again, movement. As they work, our young artists realize how gratifying it can be to create a personal piece that inspires conversation.
Across all our Specials, students come together in community to share experiences that deepen their sense of belonging and enrich their language learning at just the right time. Maria Montessori didn’t create explicit sequences for Specials classes; however, we’re confident that she would see the value in the intentional enhancements we’ve made to our program here at Wellan. Primary Specials help make it possible for us to guide students through early sensitive periods and to celebrate and cultivate each child’s unique voice.
Come observe–we’d love to include you in the action!