THEN, full of enthusiasm, he wrote also ‘chimney,’ ‘roof.’ As he wrote, he continued to cry out, ‘I can write! I know how to write!’ His cries of joy brought the other children, who formed a circle about him looking down at his work in stupefied amazement. Two or three of them said to me, trembling with excitement, ‘Give me the chalk. I can write too’ and indeed they began to write various words: mama, hand, John, chimney, Ada.
Not one of them had ever taken chalk or any other instrument in hand for the purpose of writing. It was the first time that they had ever written, and they traced an entire word, as a child, when speaking for the first time, speaks the entire word.
Précis
The boy to whom Dr Montessori had given chalk had never written before, but crying ‘I can write’ began to do so. The other children gathered around, and several of them also began to write — not letters only, as happens in conventional schooling, noted Montessori, but whole words, just as a baby will suddenly utter a whole word. (58 / 60 words)
The boy to whom Dr Montessori had given chalk had never written before, but crying ‘I can write’ began to do so. The other children gathered around, and several of them also began to write — not letters only, as happens in conventional schooling, noted Montessori, but whole words, just as a baby will suddenly utter a whole word.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, besides, despite, if, otherwise, ought, unless.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Child. Like. Look.
2 Form. Sitting. Tile.
3 Chalk. Work. Writing.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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