The Montessori Alphabet in the Literacy Process of Children from 5 to 6 Years

Abstract

Literacy is a fundamental skill in the learning process of children, it allows them to communicate and express themselves effectively with the outside world. The search for new ways of teaching is essential to ensure effective learning. The Montessori method has gained popularity due to its innovative, exploratory, and experiential student-centered approach. This bibliographical-quantitative research, of a descriptive nature with a multidisciplinary approach to psychopedagogy, was carried out in an educational institution in Santa Elena-Ecuador, where a group of 40 children between the ages of 5 and 6 who were learning to read and write received classes using the Montessori alphabet as a teaching resource, every day during the last semester corresponding to the 2022-2023 school year. The results were collected through surveys addressed to the representatives before and after completing the process, likewise, the record of qualifications in the area of ​​comprehension and oral and written expression was taken into consideration, as well as an interview with the teacher to find out her criteria regarding the experience. The data shows a significant improvement in terms of greater understanding of letter sounds and greater ability to form words with the m, p, and s phonemes. The findings are consistent with previous research in which this methodology achieves optimal results in literacy skills, this suggests that the use of the resource is an effective and beneficial alternative in this fundamental process.