Forming easily recognizable letters with a pencil requires years of practice — and many of us still struggle to achieve more legible handwriting. To remedy this, and to put written language into the hands of children as soon as possible, Dr. Maria Montessori created the *moveable alphabet and taught children the sounds of letters so they could communicate their thoughts in writing much earlier than they physically were able to write.
While working all the while on hand-eye coordination, small-muscle strengthening and practice writing with pencils, New School Montessori preprimary students delight in communicating their thoughts using the moveable alphabet and having a friend read what they have written.
“When the child hears others read the word he has composed, he wears an expression of satisfaction and pride, and is possessed by a species of joyous wonder. He is impressed by this correspondence, carried on between himself and others by means of symbols. The written language represents for him the highest attainment reached by his own intelligence, and is at the same time, the reward of a great achievement.” Dr. Maria Montessori in The Montessori Method.
* The moveable alphabet consists of 26 wooden letters with consonants in red and vowels in blue.
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