(For Italian Exclusively)
Another table exercise consists in arranging two groups of fifty cards, of which twenty-five are nouns (constituting the directing group), while the other twenty-five are adjectives. The nouns are put in a row and the child looks among the adjectives (which have been thoroughly shuffled) for those which are best suited to the different nouns. As he finds them he places them by the nouns with which they belong. Sometimes the nouns and adjectives placed together cause a great deal of merriment by the amusing contrasts that arise. The children try to put as many adjectives as possible with the same noun and develop in this way the most interesting combinations. Here are two groups which come prepared with the material:
NomeAggettivoAdjectiveNouncontadinaallegrahappypeasant-girlcasabellabeautifulhouseziabravagoodauntmammacaradearmotherprofessorealtotallprofessormeastramagrathin (lean)teacherlavandaiapulitaneatwasherwomanmarinaiorobustostrongsailorcarrettiereabbronzatosunburntwagon-driverbambinobuonogoodchildlavagnettarettangolaresquareslatefogliobiancowhitepaper (sheet of)panchettobassolowbenchprismagrossothickprismvasolargobroadvasefogliaverdegreenleafcircoloperfettoperfectcirclepizzicagnologrossofatbutchertestauntaoily (dirty)headgommadensahard, denserubberfanciullostizzitocross, angrychildfiglioobbedienteobedientsonpietranerablackrock, stonelattebiancowhitemilkformaggiotenerosoft, tendercheesecarnefrescafreshmeatvinorossoredwinedisegnograziosoprettydrawingperlalucenteshiningpearlvetrotrasparentetransparentglassragazzinaimpertinenteimpertinentlassasinopazientepatientdonkeygallinagrassafathentopoagilequick, nimblemouseacqualimpidaclearwatersaponettaodorosaperfumed, fragrantsoapmedicobravogooddoctorgiardinierebizzarrosurlygardenercanearrabbiatomaddogmanicottomorbidosoftmuffgattoarruffatoruffledcatcolomboviaggiatoretravelling (carrier)pigeonuomobrontolonegrumblingmanragnopericolosodangerousspiderserpentevelenosopoisonoussnakemedicinaamarabittermedicinenonnaindulgenteindulgent, kindgrandmotherbabboseverostrictfathervespamalignacruelwaspcassettoordinatoorderlybox
For a class game with these lists, the nouns may be placed on one table and the adjectives on another. Moving as during the "silence" lesson, each child selects first a noun, and then an adjective. When the selections have all been made, the pairs are read one after the other amid general enthusiasm.
commands(Individual Lessons)
The study of the adjective may furnish occasion for giving the child a knowledge of physical properties (of substances) so far unknown to him. For example, the teacher may present a piece of transparent glass; a piece of black glass (or any opaque screen); a sheet of white paper with an oil stain. The child will see that through thetransparentglass objects may be seen distinctly; that through the oil stain only the light is visible; that nothing at all can be seen through theopaquescreen. Or she may take a small glass funnel and put into it a piece of filter paper, then a sponge, then a piece of waterproof cloth. The child observes that the water passes through the filter paper, that the sponge absorbs water, and that the water clings to the surface of the waterproof. Or take two glass graduators and fill them with water to different heights. In the case of the graduator filled to the very top, the surface of the water isconvex;in the other, it isconcave.
The commands are printed on little slips of paper whichare folded and all held together by an elastic band with a series of brown cards containing the adjectives used in the commands. Here is the material prepared:
—Fill one graduator with water to the point of over-flowing, and another not so full. Notice the form assumed by the surface of the water in each case and apply the proper adjective:convex,concave.—Take various objects such as filter paper, cloth, a sponge, and see whether water can pass through them, applying the adjectives:permeable,impermeable,porous.—Take a piece of clear glass, a sheet of black paper, a sheet of oiled paper; look at the light through them, applying the adjectives:transparent,opaque,translucent.
—Fill one graduator with water to the point of over-flowing, and another not so full. Notice the form assumed by the surface of the water in each case and apply the proper adjective:convex,concave.
—Take various objects such as filter paper, cloth, a sponge, and see whether water can pass through them, applying the adjectives:permeable,impermeable,porous.
—Take a piece of clear glass, a sheet of black paper, a sheet of oiled paper; look at the light through them, applying the adjectives:transparent,opaque,translucent.
Object lessens demonstrating comparative weights may also be given by putting successively into a glass of water, oil, alcohol colored with aniline, a piece of cork, a little leaden ball (to be dropped). Then the command would be:
—Compare the weights of water and of colored alcohol; water and oil; water and cork; and water and lead. Then tell which isheavierand which islighterthan the other.
—Compare the weights of water and of colored alcohol; water and oil; water and cork; and water and lead. Then tell which isheavierand which islighterthan the other.
As an answer the child should give a little written exercise something like the following:Water is heavier than oil, etc. The children actually perform these little experiments, learning to handle graduators, funnels, filters, etc., and to pour the last drops of water very carefully so as to obtain the concave and convex surfaces. They acquire a very delicate touch in pouring the colored alcohol and oil on the water. Thus they take the first step into the field of practical science.
To continue the study of adjectives of quality, there is a series of commands relating to the comparative and superlative. An example of the comparative crept into theseexperiments on weight. Here are additional commands where the little slip and the brown cards are kept together.
—Take the blue stairs or any other objects and put with each object the proper adjectives from the following list:thick,thin,thickest(Ital. grossissimo),thinnest(Ital. finissimo).—Take the eight tablets of the color you like best, arrange them according to shades and apply the proper adjectives of quality from the following:light,lightest,dark,darkest.—Take the series of circles in the plane insets, and pick out the circles which correspond to these adjectives:large,small,intermediate.—Take the cloths or other objects adapted to these adjectives:smooth,smoothest,rough,roughest,soft,softest.—Take the cubes of the pink tower or any other objects adapted to these adjectives:large,largest,small,smallest.—Grade a number of objects according to weight so as to fit these adjectives to them:heavy,heaviest,light,lightest.
—Take the blue stairs or any other objects and put with each object the proper adjectives from the following list:thick,thin,thickest(Ital. grossissimo),thinnest(Ital. finissimo).
—Take the eight tablets of the color you like best, arrange them according to shades and apply the proper adjectives of quality from the following:light,lightest,dark,darkest.
—Take the series of circles in the plane insets, and pick out the circles which correspond to these adjectives:large,small,intermediate.
—Take the cloths or other objects adapted to these adjectives:smooth,smoothest,rough,roughest,soft,softest.
—Take the cubes of the pink tower or any other objects adapted to these adjectives:large,largest,small,smallest.
—Grade a number of objects according to weight so as to fit these adjectives to them:heavy,heaviest,light,lightest.
commands(Individual Lessons)
Just as above, the slip is tied with the series of brown cards by an elastic band. Thus a group is formed. In our material the following three groups are available:
—Take the counters and make little piles which correspond in quantity to these adjectives:one,two,three,four,five,six, etc.—Take the beads and make little piles of them to fit these adjectives:few,none,many,some.—Decide first of all on some definite number of beads (two) and then make other little piles to fit these adjectives:double,triple,quadruple,quintuple,sextuple,tenfold,half,equal.
—Take the counters and make little piles which correspond in quantity to these adjectives:one,two,three,four,five,six, etc.
—Take the beads and make little piles of them to fit these adjectives:few,none,many,some.
—Decide first of all on some definite number of beads (two) and then make other little piles to fit these adjectives:double,triple,quadruple,quintuple,sextuple,tenfold,half,equal.
(Individual Commands)
—Build the blue stair and on each step place the proper adjective from the following:first,second,third,fourth,fifth,sixth,seventh,eighth,ninth,tenth.—Place the following adjectives on the different drawers of the cabinet, beginning with the top drawer:first,second,third,fourth,fifth.—Differentiate between the drawers of the cabinet by the following adjectives, beginning with the lowest:first,second,third,fourth,fifth.
—Build the blue stair and on each step place the proper adjective from the following:first,second,third,fourth,fifth,sixth,seventh,eighth,ninth,tenth.
—Place the following adjectives on the different drawers of the cabinet, beginning with the top drawer:first,second,third,fourth,fifth.
—Differentiate between the drawers of the cabinet by the following adjectives, beginning with the lowest:first,second,third,fourth,fifth.
(Class Lessons)
As occasion may offer, the teacher may assemble a group of children and give them a few simple explanations on the meaning of certain words:questo, "this" (near us);cotesto, "that" (near you);quello, "that" (over there away from both of us). (Note: English lacks the demonstrative of the second person.)
Then she can distribute these commands which require collective actions of the class:—
—Gather inthat(codesto) corner of the room near you; then all of you come over tothis(questo) corner near me; then all of you run over to that (quello) corner over there.—Choose one of your school-mates and tell him to put a box onthis(questo) table; a small plate onthat(quello) table over there.—Tell one of your companions, pointing at the place, to put a green bead inthis(questo) vase; a blue one inthat(codesto) vase; a white one inthat(quello) vase over there.
—Gather inthat(codesto) corner of the room near you; then all of you come over tothis(questo) corner near me; then all of you run over to that (quello) corner over there.
—Choose one of your school-mates and tell him to put a box onthis(questo) table; a small plate onthat(quello) table over there.
—Tell one of your companions, pointing at the place, to put a green bead inthis(questo) vase; a blue one inthat(codesto) vase; a white one inthat(quello) vase over there.
Arrange the children in groups in three different places in the room, and then give this command:
—Letthat(quello) group over there take the place ofthis(questo) group. Letthat(codesto) group break up, the children going back to their tables.
—Letthat(quello) group over there take the place ofthis(questo) group. Letthat(codesto) group break up, the children going back to their tables.
(Class Lessons)
In like manner the teacher explains the meaning of the wordsmy,your,his,her, etc. She may do this with a simple gesture. Here are the commands:
—Point out various objects saying: This ismyslate; that isyourslate; that (over there) isherslate.—Point at the different seats, saying: That (over there) ishisplace, that isyourplace, and this ismyplace.—Pass around the little baskets, saying: This ismybasket. Whose is that other basket? Is ityourbasket? And this one? Ah, this one ishisbasket.—Let us take a turn around the room and then return toourseats.Yougo toyourseat andtheywill go totheirseats. Then we will divide up our things. Let us putourthings here andtheirthings there. We will go toyourseats and you go totheirseats. Meanwhile they will get up and then come over here to takeourplaces.
—Point out various objects saying: This ismyslate; that isyourslate; that (over there) isherslate.
—Point at the different seats, saying: That (over there) ishisplace, that isyourplace, and this ismyplace.
—Pass around the little baskets, saying: This ismybasket. Whose is that other basket? Is ityourbasket? And this one? Ah, this one ishisbasket.
—Let us take a turn around the room and then return toourseats.Yougo toyourseat andtheywill go totheirseats. Then we will divide up our things. Let us putourthings here andtheirthings there. We will go toyourseats and you go totheirseats. Meanwhile they will get up and then come over here to takeourplaces.
[Signora Montessori does not differentiate between the possessiveadjectiveand the possessivepronoun;perhaps because there is in Italian no characteristic pronominal form. Strictly speaking the Italian predicate formmio(e.g.,Questo libra è mio) is adjectival, while the formil mio(i.e., with the definite article) is pronominal (e.g.,Questo è il mio). English has, however, the pronominal possessives:mine,yours(thine),his,hers,ours,yours,theirs, used also as predicate adjectives. The above exercise should therefore he repeated later under the subject of pronouns in a slightly different form.—Tr.]
VERBS
When I gave the first grammar lessons to defective children I put special emphasis on nouns and verbs. The noun (= object), and the verb (= action) were distinguished with the greatest clearness, much as we distinguish matter from energy, chemistry from physics.Conditionandmotion, as potential and kinetic energy, are both expressed by verbs. Whereas formerly the child took the objects in his hands and studied their name and attributes, here he mustperformactions. In the execution of actions he must necessarily receive some help, for he is not always capable of interpreting the word with the precise action which corresponds to it. On the contrary, the study of the verb is necessary to initiate him into a series of "object lessons" upon the different actions he must perform. The teacher therefore must give individual lessons teaching the child to interpret the verb.
In the usual manner we present a box which has four compartments, for the article, the noun, the adjective, and the verb. The sections are designated by the usual title cards: tan, black, brown, and red. In the compartment at the back of the box there are six slips for each exercise, and for every written word there is a card, except for such words as are repeated in successive sentences.For example: if the following sentences are written on the cards:
Close the door!Lock the door!
on the corresponding cards will be found the words:
Lockthe door.Close
And so the child after he has composed his first sentence needs to change only one card (lockforclose) for the second sentence. This brings out the force of the verb, showing that one sentence may be changed into another by indicating an entirely different action. The child performs the action and then on his table he builds the sentences with the cards. In the series we have prepared, the verbs are either synonyms or antonyms. Here is the material:
SERIES A
—Close the doorLock the door—Tie a knotUntie a knot—Spread your beadsCollect your beads—Fold the paperUnfold the paper—Open the bookShut the book—Speak a wordWhisper a word
SERIES B
—Raise your handsLower your hands—Toss the ballThrow the ball—Show your right handHide your right hand—Touch the velvetFeel the velvet—Write a short wordErase a short word—Draw a circleFill a circle
SERIES C
—Bring a chairDrag a chair—Lace a frameUnlace a frame—Raise your headBow your head—Fill a glassEmpty a glass—Arrange the brown cardsMix the brown cards—Roll the white handkerchiefTwist the white handkerchief
SERIES D
—Embrace your nearest schoolmateKiss your nearest schoolmate—Gather your prismsSeparate your prisms—Borrow a black pencilLend a black pencil—Cover your faceUncover your face—Lift the red counterDrop the red counter—Smooth the white paperCrumple the white paper
SERIES E
—Clench your two handsOpen your two hands—Spread the large carpetFold the large carpet—Bend your left armStraighten your left arm—Rub the tableScratch the table—Pour the waterSpill the water—Comb your hairPart your hair
The teacher should have in mind the grammatical rules for the position of the verb in the sentence, to give the child a clear idea of its normal location before the direct object: "first the verb, then the object upon which it acts."
Example:
Smooth the white paper.
The verb should, for the first permutation, be transferred to the end:
the white paper smooth.
Or, if you wish,
Arrange the brown cards.the brown cards arrange.
When the verb is taken away entirely the action vanishes:
Lift the red counter.Dropthe red counter.
Making all possible permutations, the child sees that only one order of words is capable of bringing a meaning out of the confusion:
Roll the white handkerchief.the white handkerchief roll.white the handkerchief roll.white roll handkerchief the.
The children take considerable delight in our verb lessons which develop through interpretations of actions. We use packs of red cards, tied with an elastic, each pack containing ten cards. The child executes the actions indicated on each card, one after the other. He may afterward copy the cards—an exercise specially attractive to very young children.
Examples:
—walk, sing, jump, dance, bow, sit, sleep, wake, pray, sigh.—write, erase, weep, laugh, hide, draw, read, speak, listen, run.—arrange, clean, dust, sweep, button, lace, tie, hook, greet, brush.—comb, wash, wipe, embrace, kiss, smile, yawn, scowl, stare, breathe.
—walk, sing, jump, dance, bow, sit, sleep, wake, pray, sigh.
—write, erase, weep, laugh, hide, draw, read, speak, listen, run.
—arrange, clean, dust, sweep, button, lace, tie, hook, greet, brush.
—comb, wash, wipe, embrace, kiss, smile, yawn, scowl, stare, breathe.
These are fairly common words, representing actions more or less familiar to the pupils. But this exercise is only an introduction to the real verb-lessons. For these the teacher selects, as subject for a lesson, a series of synonymous verbs. Their shades of meaning are taughtto the children by translating them into action, the teacher executing the action herself. She then distributes around the class commands making use of the verbs in question. There may be several copies of a given command if the pupils are very numerous. The child reads by himself the card he has received, executing the action from memory of what he has seen the teacher do. We have tested experimentally the Italian material (i.e., the verbs in parentheses), as follows:
Subject:
lay, throw, toss, hurl (posare, gettare, lanciare, scagliare).
lay, throw, toss, hurl (posare, gettare, lanciare, scagliare).
Commands:—
—Take a counter andlayit on the floor. Pick it up again andthrowit on the floor.—Roll your handkerchief into a ball.Tossit into the air. Pick it up again andhurlit against the wall.—Layyour handkerchief carefully, very carefully, on the floor. Pick it up again andthrowit on the floor. Make a ball of it andhurlit across the room. Pick it up andtossit into the air.
—Take a counter andlayit on the floor. Pick it up again andthrowit on the floor.
—Roll your handkerchief into a ball.Tossit into the air. Pick it up again andhurlit against the wall.
—Layyour handkerchief carefully, very carefully, on the floor. Pick it up again andthrowit on the floor. Make a ball of it andhurlit across the room. Pick it up andtossit into the air.
Subject:
lie, crouch, sit, rise (sollevare, alzare, levare).
lie, crouch, sit, rise (sollevare, alzare, levare).
Commands:—
—Go to the sofa andliewith your face to the wall. Nowrise, go to your table andsitwith head erect.—Risefrom your chair andcrouchbehind the table, as though you were playing hide-and-seek.Riseand go back to the sofa.
—Go to the sofa andliewith your face to the wall. Nowrise, go to your table andsitwith head erect.
—Risefrom your chair andcrouchbehind the table, as though you were playing hide-and-seek.Riseand go back to the sofa.
Subject:
open, close, lock, unlock (aprire, spalancare, chiudere, socchiudere, serrare, disserrare).
open, close, lock, unlock (aprire, spalancare, chiudere, socchiudere, serrare, disserrare).
Commands:—
—Go to a window andopenit a little; wait a moment and thencloseit again.Openthe window as wide as you can andcloseit immediately.—Go to the door andopenit wide. Thenclosethe door gently. If the key is in the key-holelockthe door; but before you go away,unlockit again, so that everything is left just as you found it.
—Go to a window andopenit a little; wait a moment and thencloseit again.Openthe window as wide as you can andcloseit immediately.
—Go to the door andopenit wide. Thenclosethe door gently. If the key is in the key-holelockthe door; but before you go away,unlockit again, so that everything is left just as you found it.
Subject:
breathe, inhale, exhale (respirare, sospirare, inspirare, espirare).
breathe, inhale, exhale (respirare, sospirare, inspirare, espirare).
Commands:—
—Go to the window, open it, andinhaleandexhalethe fresh air five times. Then after a momentinhaleonce and hold your breath as long as you can. When you can hold your breath no longer,exhaleas slowly as you can.—Take a hand mirror andbreatheupon the glass. What happens?
—Go to the window, open it, andinhaleandexhalethe fresh air five times. Then after a momentinhaleonce and hold your breath as long as you can. When you can hold your breath no longer,exhaleas slowly as you can.
—Take a hand mirror andbreatheupon the glass. What happens?
Subject:
hang, attach (appendere, affiggere, sospendere).
hang, attach (appendere, affiggere, sospendere).
Commands:—
—Hangone of your best drawings on a hook in the room.—Attachthe drawing you like best with two pins to the wall near the door.
—Hangone of your best drawings on a hook in the room.
—Attachthe drawing you like best with two pins to the wall near the door.
Subject:
cover, wrap, tie, undo (avvolgere, involgere, svolgere).
cover, wrap, tie, undo (avvolgere, involgere, svolgere).
Commands:—
—Take a book, a string and a large piece of cloth. Lay the book on your table andcoverit with the cloth.—Take the cloth andwrapit around the book so that the book cannot be seen.—Tiea string around the cloth so that the book will not fall out.—Undothe bundle, and return each object to the place where you found it.
—Take a book, a string and a large piece of cloth. Lay the book on your table andcoverit with the cloth.
—Take the cloth andwrapit around the book so that the book cannot be seen.
—Tiea string around the cloth so that the book will not fall out.
—Undothe bundle, and return each object to the place where you found it.
Subject:
turn, invert, revolve, whirl, reverse (volgere, capovolgere, rovesciare).
turn, invert, revolve, whirl, reverse (volgere, capovolgere, rovesciare).
Commands:—
—Turna picture toward one of your school-mates so that he can see it clearly.—Invertthe picture, so that it will be upside down.—Reversethe picture so that the back only can be seen by your school-mate.—Revolvethe seat of the piano-stool as rapidly as you can.—Stand with your back to the window andturnslowly on your heel till you face the window.Whirlon your heel completely around till you again face the window.
—Turna picture toward one of your school-mates so that he can see it clearly.
—Invertthe picture, so that it will be upside down.
—Reversethe picture so that the back only can be seen by your school-mate.
—Revolvethe seat of the piano-stool as rapidly as you can.
—Stand with your back to the window andturnslowly on your heel till you face the window.Whirlon your heel completely around till you again face the window.
Subject:
breathe, blow, puff, pant (sbuffare, soffiare, alitare).
breathe, blow, puff, pant (sbuffare, soffiare, alitare).
Commands:—
—Tear a large piece of paper into tiny bits on your table.Blowsteadily upon the table till the pieces of paper are all on the floor.—Pick up the pieces of paper and place them on the table.Puffthree times upon them and see if they all fall to the floor. Gather up the pieces and throw them into the waste-basket.—Breathesoftly upon the back of your hand. What do you feel?—Blowupon the back of your hand. What do you feel?—Puffupon the back of your band. What do you feel?—Pantnoisily as though you had been running a long way.
—Tear a large piece of paper into tiny bits on your table.Blowsteadily upon the table till the pieces of paper are all on the floor.
—Pick up the pieces of paper and place them on the table.Puffthree times upon them and see if they all fall to the floor. Gather up the pieces and throw them into the waste-basket.
—Breathesoftly upon the back of your hand. What do you feel?
—Blowupon the back of your hand. What do you feel?
—Puffupon the back of your band. What do you feel?
—Pantnoisily as though you had been running a long way.
Subject:
murmur, mutter, whisper, speak, grumble (mormorare, sussurrare, brontolare).
murmur, mutter, whisper, speak, grumble (mormorare, sussurrare, brontolare).
Commands:—
—Ask one of your school-mates to listen carefully to what you say; thenmurmura short sentence as though you were speaking to yourself.—Mutterthe same words in a louder voice and see whether he understands.—Whisperthe same words in the ear of one of two children. Then ask the other whether he has heard.—Grumblethe same words and watch how the two children look at you.—Speakthe same words aloud and as distinctly as you can. Do the children understand?
—Ask one of your school-mates to listen carefully to what you say; thenmurmura short sentence as though you were speaking to yourself.
—Mutterthe same words in a louder voice and see whether he understands.
—Whisperthe same words in the ear of one of two children. Then ask the other whether he has heard.
—Grumblethe same words and watch how the two children look at you.
—Speakthe same words aloud and as distinctly as you can. Do the children understand?
Subject:
touch, rub, graze (toccare, tastare, palpare, sfiorare).
touch, rub, graze (toccare, tastare, palpare, sfiorare).
Commands:—
—Go to your table and with your eyes shuttouchit as though to recognize it.—Rubthe table with the tips of your fingers, bearing down as hard as you can. What do you feel?—Grazethe table with the tips of your fingers, trying not to touch it.
—Go to your table and with your eyes shuttouchit as though to recognize it.
—Rubthe table with the tips of your fingers, bearing down as hard as you can. What do you feel?
—Grazethe table with the tips of your fingers, trying not to touch it.
Subject:
spread, sprinkle, collect, scatter (spargere, spruzzare, aspergere).
spread, sprinkle, collect, scatter (spargere, spruzzare, aspergere).
Commands:—
—Take a box full of beads andspreadthem evenly around the center of your table. Thencollectthem in a pile in the center of the table.—Take a handful of the beads andscatterthem over the table. Return all the beads to the box.—Take a glass of water andsprinkletwo or three handfuls on a plant in the room.
—Take a box full of beads andspreadthem evenly around the center of your table. Thencollectthem in a pile in the center of the table.
—Take a handful of the beads andscatterthem over the table. Return all the beads to the box.
—Take a glass of water andsprinkletwo or three handfuls on a plant in the room.
Subject:
walk, stagger, march (barcollare, dondolare, erigersi).
walk, stagger, march (barcollare, dondolare, erigersi).
Commands:—
—Walknaturally to the end of the room farthest from your table.—Marchback to your seat as though you were keeping time to music.—Staggeracross the room as though you were very dizzy.
—Walknaturally to the end of the room farthest from your table.
—Marchback to your seat as though you were keeping time to music.
—Staggeracross the room as though you were very dizzy.
Subject:
take, seize, catch (acchiappare, acciuffare, afferrare).
take, seize, catch (acchiappare, acciuffare, afferrare).
Commands:—
—Walk to the cabinet andtakea box of counters in your hands.—Run to the sofa,seizethe sofa-pillow, and run around the room with it, holding it in your arms.—Roll your handkerchief into a ball, toss it into the air and try tocatchit before it falls to the floor.
—Walk to the cabinet andtakea box of counters in your hands.
—Run to the sofa,seizethe sofa-pillow, and run around the room with it, holding it in your arms.
—Roll your handkerchief into a ball, toss it into the air and try tocatchit before it falls to the floor.
The function of the verb can be still more interestingly emphasized by suggesting actions designed to increase the child's knowledge in the direction of elementary science. Here the teacher, instead of executing simple movements, performs experiments, which on the same day or on succeeding days the child can imitate guided by the directions in the commands.
Subject:
stir, mix, beat, flavor (mescolare, emulsionare, stemperare).
stir, mix, beat, flavor (mescolare, emulsionare, stemperare).
Commands:—
—Take a bowl half full of water and drop into it a half cup of flour;stirwith a spoon until the mixture is thick.—Place a table-spoonful of vinegar and a table-spoonful of olive-oil in a clean bowl;beatthem together until an emulsion is formed.—Place a tea-spoonful of chocolate and a tea-spoonful of sugar in a cup andmixthem thoroughly. What color was the chocolate? What color was the sugar? What color is the mixture?—Take a little milk in a cup and taste of it; add a drop of vanilla extract. Then taste of the milk again. Do you taste the vanilla? In the same wayflavora glass of waterwith the vanilla.Flavoranother glass of water with vinegar.
—Take a bowl half full of water and drop into it a half cup of flour;stirwith a spoon until the mixture is thick.
—Place a table-spoonful of vinegar and a table-spoonful of olive-oil in a clean bowl;beatthem together until an emulsion is formed.
—Place a tea-spoonful of chocolate and a tea-spoonful of sugar in a cup andmixthem thoroughly. What color was the chocolate? What color was the sugar? What color is the mixture?
—Take a little milk in a cup and taste of it; add a drop of vanilla extract. Then taste of the milk again. Do you taste the vanilla? In the same wayflavora glass of waterwith the vanilla.Flavoranother glass of water with vinegar.
Subject:
dissolve, saturate, be in suspension (sciogliere, fare la sospensiona, saturare).
dissolve, saturate, be in suspension (sciogliere, fare la sospensiona, saturare).
Commands:—
—Place a spoonful of sugar in a glass of warm water anddissolvethe sugar by stirring with a spoon. Is the water still clear?—Saturatethe water with sugar by continuing to add sugar and stirring till you can see the sugar at the bottom of the glass. Allow the water to rest a moment. Is the water still clear?—Mix a spoonful of starch in the water. The water becomes white, since the starch does notdissolvebut remainsin suspensionin the water.
—Place a spoonful of sugar in a glass of warm water anddissolvethe sugar by stirring with a spoon. Is the water still clear?
—Saturatethe water with sugar by continuing to add sugar and stirring till you can see the sugar at the bottom of the glass. Allow the water to rest a moment. Is the water still clear?
—Mix a spoonful of starch in the water. The water becomes white, since the starch does notdissolvebut remainsin suspensionin the water.
Subject:
strain, filter (decantare, filtrare).
strain, filter (decantare, filtrare).
Commands:—
—Take the glass containing the water saturated with sugar and the one with the starch in suspension, and allow the starch and sugar to settle for some time, until the water is clear. Taste the water in each glass, and thenstraineach glass of water separately.—Filterthe water saturated with sugar and the water with the suspended starch. Then taste of each.
—Take the glass containing the water saturated with sugar and the one with the starch in suspension, and allow the starch and sugar to settle for some time, until the water is clear. Taste the water in each glass, and thenstraineach glass of water separately.
—Filterthe water saturated with sugar and the water with the suspended starch. Then taste of each.
By the time all these commands have been executed, the child will have developed a keen desire to go on, becoming so interested in the meaning of verbs as not to require further commands to stimulate his study of these words. The most frequent question now is "How many verbs are there in the language?" "Are there more in other languages?" etc. To satisfy this new curiosity of the children we have dictionaries of synonyms and antonyms, andword-charts. But meantime they have been building their own dictionaries. One by one they begin to own copy books (rubrics) with illuminated letters of the alphabet. Under the proper letter the child copies his words as fast as he learns them. We are still experimenting on the question of the exact amount of information that may successfully be offered to elementary school children of various ages and stages of development, with the word material required for the notions of natural history, physics and chemistry they may be expected to acquire. We can say, at this moment, simply that each experiment involves the use of a certain number of new words (nouns, adjectives and verbs), which are copied into the word-books (rubrics) as fast as they occur.
PREPOSITIONS
Here also the first exercise is to compose sentences analyzed with the colored cards. This grammar box has five compartments, each with a small title card of the color corresponding to the different parts of speech, red for the verb, black for the noun, brown for the adjective, tan for the article andvioletfor thepreposition. In the compartment at the rear of the box are six cards with printed sentences. The colored cards do not correspond exactly to the number of words used in the sentences because the words of one sentence which are repeated in the next are not duplicated in the cards. In this case it is the change in preposition only which alters the meaning of the sentence. Here are the series of sentences, some of which the teacher may have used already in previous lessons (commands).
(Prepositions of space relations)
—Take the boxwiththe colored beads. (con, senza, insieme con).Take the boxwithoutthe colored beads.Take the boxtogetherwith the colored beads.
—Place the prismunderthe cylinder. (sotto a, sopra a).Place the prismuponthe cylinder.
—Lay the penin front ofthe ink-well. (avanti a, dietro a, a lato di).Lay the penbehindthe ink-well.Lay the penbesidethe ink-well.
—Put the green beadintothe box. (in, dentro).Put the green beadinsidethe box.
—Arrange a few beadsbetweenthe red counters. (in mezzo a, tra).Arrange a few beadsamongthe red counters.
—Set one chairoppositeanother chair. (dirimpetto a, accanto a).Set one chairnextto another chair.
set of cardsGrammar Boxes, showing respectively four and five parts of speech. (Note: The cards forming the sentence, "Place the blue cone against the pink cube," should have been arranged in one continuous line, not in two lines.)
(Space relations continued)
—Lay the counterinsidethe box. (dentro, fuori, di).Lay the counteroutsidethe box.
—Place a chairon this side ofthe door. (di là da, di qua da, oltre).Place a chairon that side ofthe door.Place a chairbeyondthe door.
—Standin front ofthe blackboard. (di fronte a, di fianco a).Standto one side ofthe blackboard.Standto the other side ofthe blackboard.
—Arrange the chairsalongthe wall. (lungo, contro).Arrange the chairsagainstthe wall.
—Place the blue conenearthe pink cube. (vicino a, accosto a).Place the blue coneagainstthe pink cube.
(Possession, material, use, purpose)
[Note:—Such relationships are expressed in English preferably by adjectives:cloth of cotton=cotton cloth;or by the possessive inflection with-s:the drawing of George = George's drawing. In Italian they are expressed by the prepositionsdi,per,da, etc.:stoffa di cotone"cotton cloth,"piattino di vetro"glass saucer." For Signora Montessori's simple exercise we suggest for English the following definitions (Tr.)].
set of cardsGrammar Boxes, containing respectively six and seven parts of speech. (Note: In the sentence on the right, the cards should be in one line, not two.)
—Cotton cloth is clothofcotton.Woollen cloth is clothofwool.Silk cloth is clothofsilk.
—The iron triangle is a triangleofiron.The wooden triangle is a triangleofwood.