"Language is one the characteristics which distinguish man from the animals. It is a gift of nature bestowed on him alone. It is an expression of his intelligence."
Maria Montessori
The Formation of Man, p. 79
"The exercises with the movable alphabet place the whole language in motion. They provoke a real intellectual activity...These continuous exercises, therefore, by means of which both spoken and written words are built up, do not only prepare the way for writing, but for correct spelling as well."
Maria Montessori
The Formation of Man, p. 90