Literacy Theorists

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori (1965)

Believed that children needed early, orderly, systematic training in order to master skills.

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• She treated an environment supplied with materials (modeled by the teacher & child imitates) for learning concepts to meet specific objectives.
• The materials were manipulatives and self-correcting, so children could determine their errors and make corrections.
• There are precise steps to complete each task correctly and materials were stored in their own containers, on a particular shelf, and in order of difficulty.

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“The teacher is a guide who prepares an environment with materials to teach the skills!”

Montessori

• The curriculum includes learning reading and math using manipulative materials.
• Early reading instruction includes learning the sounds of letters more than the names of letters, with the help of cards that have raised textured letters that children trace with their fingers as they make the sounds.
• Montessori’s curriculum is based on behaviorist theory. Children’s curiosity and exploration are less concern than working with a material to achieve a goal.

Directions:

1. With your group, create slides about the theorist you were assigned.
2. Slides should include:
1. Name
2. Their beliefs
3. Any major changes they made in education
4. Definitions relating to their work
5. Pictures
6. Examples of their impact that can still be found in the classroom today
7. Any criticisms about their theories

Lucy Calkins

Richard Allington

Jerome Harste

Louise Rosenblatt

Marie Clay

Ken Goodman

Catherine Snow

Donald Graves

Paulo Freire

Denny Taylor

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Kathryn Au

Stephen Krashen

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