As a qualified Montessori teacher, (3-12 years) I see daily evidence of the importance of language in early childhood development. I constantly see how easily and avidly young children acquire language and build new vocabulary.
Did you know that this inclination for language occurs because children are experiencing the sensitive period for language development from birth to 6 years? During the sensitive period for language, children are really keen to learn the names for everything they see around them and as they expand their vocabulary, feeding their inclination to learn and develop.
This of course also means that your child has a great aptitude for learning to speak and understand a second language (far better than you!) Many parents still believe that learning another language so young will be confusing and will interfere with them speaking English. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Dr Maria Montessori said the reason why older children and adults have difficulty learning a second language is because they are no longer in that sensitive period for language acquisition.
Our carefully devised French classes start when the child is just 18 months old, with a fun and varied programme of songs, rhymes, stories, games, parachute play, counting and bubbles. We are always hearing from parents how their little ones have suddenly started singing French songs in the car, or are counting the stairs at home in French! Likewise, our after school language clubs mean that children can meet in a relaxed environment to expand and practise their language skills in small, friendly groups.
If you’d like to try a free taster class this term, with a view to starting classes with us, please get in touch. You can follow us on facebook/twitter/Instagram to see more of what we get up to in our classes too.
