Montessori on Language Development

Since I'm taking a class on child development right now, I have been doing a lot of thought on how different child development theories relate to the kids I teach. I have found some theorists' ideas more interesting than others, and I would like to share some of my thoughts about the ones I found interesting. Today I would like to share some thoughts about Maria Montessori.

In particular, Montessori found that children learn how to read and write the best at about 4 years old, and that if the child does not begin learning to read and write until 6 or 7 years old, he or she will have a more difficult time with it. I think this explains a lot about why some children in our classrooms have no difficulty reading, while others find it to be a big struggle, even if they are not identified with learning disabilities. When I think about the children in my class last year who have the most difficulty reading and writing, these are also some of the same children who have less support at home in terms of education and probably did not begin learning to read or write until they entered kindergarten (which, according to Montessori, would be past the optimal age for learning how to read and write). It also makes me think of my ESL students who don't even begin learning English until they are already about 6 or 7 years old. It's no wonder it is so difficult for them, since the sensitive period for learning language has passed!

So I would like to make a plea to anyone with young children--please introduce literacy to your children before you send them to kindergarten. This will make reading and writing so much easier and more enjoyable for them than if you wait and let the kindergarten teacher teach them to read from scratch. I don't have any children of my own right now, but when I think back to my own personal experience, I know my parents read to me every day, and that I had all kinds of books available to me throughout my childhood that I would pick up and read. I also went to preschool, so I am sure that helped a bit as well in my language and literacy development. I read my first chapter book when I was in 1st grade. It saddens me to think that some students I have had as 3rd or even 4th graders still aren't ready to read chapter books. I have to wonder, if their parents had read with them at an early age would they be better readers?

Has anyone had any experiences with Montessori education? What do you think on her ideas on language development? How can teachers of older children ease the process of learning to read for students who are past the sensitive period of language development already?