Language Collections

Toddler Goals 

• Build vocabulary
• Transition from 3-dimensions (objects) to 2-dimensions (picture cards)
• Develop eye-hand coordination

• Children who are rapidly learning the names of everything in their world
• Around ages 1.5 to 2.5 years-old

• Build vocabulary; expand their internal dictionary
• Build contextual understanding of language and how it is used to describe the rich diversity of life
• Help the children learn that their voice matters (they have something to say and it is worth saying)

• Children who have a growing vocabulary and are interested in the sounds of language (music, rhymes, etc.)
• Around ages 2.5 to 4-years-old and older

• Develop phonemic awareness
• Develop letter-sound knowledge
• Gain practice phonetically spelling words (segmenting)

• Children who have a growing vocabulary and are interested in the sounds of language (music, rhymes, etc.)
• Around ages 2.5 to 4-years-old and older

• Introduce the child to reading words that follow reliable phonetic spelling patterns
• Help the child realize that a written word is a group of sounds which are represented by graphic signs and have meaning—this is the first time they connect the printed/graphic word with an image
• Emphasize the graphic symbols that represent key sounds made by pairs of letters (phonograms)
• Give the child enjoyable and meaningful ways to practice reading

• Children who know the sounds of the alphabet and phonogram key sounds
• Anywhere from 3.5 to 6 years-old or older 

• Appreciate the curiosities and complexities of English
• Build awareness that sounds have more than one spelling
• Teach the irregular spellings of common words
• Give the child enjoyable and meaningful ways to practice reading

• Children who can read phonetic words and asks about how words are spelled
• Anywhere from 4 to 6 years-old or older 

• Give the child enjoyable and meaningful ways to practice reading and play with language function
• Present the functions of words/grammar in a fun, tangible way
• Create opportunities to practice spelling while isolating key aspects of words
• Develop the child's analytical mind
• Prepare the child for analyzing sentence structure and syntax

• Children who are strong phonetic readers and who can read the key sound phonograms (like th, ch, ee, etc.)
• Anywhere from 4.5 to 8 years-old or older 

• Give the child enjoyable and meaningful ways to practice reading
• Help the child decipher non-phonetic words 
• Deepen the child's vocabulary knowledge
• Generate deep interest in meaningful subject areas

• Children who are ready to move into the non-phonetic half of English at the word-level
• Anywhere from 4 to 8 years-old or older 

• Give the child enjoyable and meaningful ways to practice reading and play with language structure
• Develop the child's analytical mind
• Prepare the child for analyzing sentence structure and syntax

• Children who are emergent readers ready to move into the non-phonetic half of English
• Anywhere from 4.5 to 8 years-old or older 

• Give the homeschool family foundational materials needed to implement the Montessori/Dwyer approach to literacy

• Homeschools with children of mixed abilities/ages (a combination of the above collections)