I was so intrigued when I first came across the concept of the Montessori three-period lesson. I read everything I could find on presenting a Montessori lesson, which made it clear just how valuable this technique is.
The Montessori three-period lesson is a foundational teaching technique in Montessori education. Montessori teachers use the three-part lesson to introduce concepts and vocabulary. This method ensures that new information is internalized and truly understood.
The three-period lesson consists of::
- First Period: Naming the objects
- Second Period: Recognizing the object
- Third Period: Recalling the object
This method has multiple applications and can be implemented to teach concepts in different areas of learning, ranging from Sensorial and Practical Life apparatus to Mathematical symbols and Vocabulary.
The concept of the three-period lesson might seem simple, but therein lies its genius! What’s even better is that anyone can learn to apply this method when introducing new concepts to a child. Are you ready to become an expert?
What Are The Benefits Of Giving A Three-Period Lesson?
Before we get into how you will present the lesson, let’s talk about why Montessorians use this method.
Maria Montessori did not create the three-period lesson. She borrowed it from Edouard Seguin, a French educational theorist whose work she admired. He developed this method after working extensively with children who had special needs and challenges around learning. He used the three-period lesson to convey information to these children with great success.
Long-Lasting Knowledge
I can still remember what it was like studying and writing tests at school. We all waited till the last day before the exam, crammed all the information in our heads, and hoped for the best. A couple of weeks after the test, I had hardly any recollection of what I wrote down. Why is this? Because we were parrot learning. The information you gain in this way is very short-lived.
You gain long term knowledge only after internalizing the information—understanding it on a deeper level. If you understand a concept, you will have that information forever.
Confidence And Mastery
Our brains are very efficient computers that create programs based on our experiences. The reason I mention this is because a young child’s brain is writing the program every day. These programs will run for the rest of their lives.
What if your programming tells you that you are always wrong and that you don’t know anything? Chances are you are not going to have high self-esteem. No one wants that for their child. When you continuously correct a child, you are telling their brains that they are always wrong, and they don’t know anything.
The three-period lesson sets the child up for success by not correcting the child. Every time a child gets the answer right, they feel a sense of accomplishment, which gives a child confidence. When you feel confident you can master anything!
How to present the three-period lesson?
Before we run through each of the steps, I would like to set the scene in which the three-period lesson will take place.
- The lesson should ideally happen between you and the child on a one on one basis- especially if you are working with a child under 6.
- Sit next to the child instead of across.
- Sit at an empty table or on the floor in front of a mat.
- The 3 part lesson happens in one sitting.
The First Period – Naming the object
This period is the shortest of the three and is purely the naming of the object. In the second period, you are introducing a new concept, object, color, or symbol to the child.
You should start with 2 to 6 objects – depending on the age of the child. If you are working with a toddler, you should only introduce two objects. The objects must be isolated, which is why working on a clear table or using a plain mat is crucial. The objects must stand out visually with no other interference.
Start the lesson by telling the child what you are going to work with today. You will simply name each object in a clear voice and then repeat the word without any further details or explanations. You can slow down the tempo a little to emphasize the pronunciation. Pick up and hold the object to associate the word with the object.
‘Hi Billy, today we are going to work with fruit.’
‘Billy, this is an Orange’
‘Orange’. O-R-A-N-GE’
You don’t have to ask the child to say anything during this period. They are welcome to say whatever they want, but you are not going to ask them to repeat after you or anything like that.
The Second Period – Recognizing the object
The purpose of the second period is to help the child internalize the new information and to check whether or not the child has made a genuine connection as opposed to just parrot learning, which leads to short term recall.
We can do this by playing games like asking the child to move the object or to place it in your hand. It can be through telling a story or doing a dance. Anything goes – as long as it requires the child to become interactive instead of just being passive while they identify the different objects.
Encourage your child to hold, explore, and move the object around as the kinesthetic memory will help to reinforce the recollection of the new object’s name. Using movement as part of this lesson also helps to keep the child engaged with the added interest this provides.
‘Billy, can you place the orange in my hand?’
‘Can you put the orange under your chair?’
‘Let’s dance while holding the apple.’
Playing games like these will also serve as a fun way to practice for the child. If you see that the child is consistently getting it right, you can change the order of the objects to make it a bit more complicated.
If your child places the pear in your hand instead of the orange, you can say something like:
‘Oh, I see you want to give me the pear instead of the orange.’
Make a mental note of the vocabulary they need more help with. You will most likely end the lesson in the second period and re-introduce the objects again the next day. If they are getting it wrong because they are not interested, then you will leave the lesson for another day or wait until the child is interested in the subject. Forcing the issue will be counterproductive.
The Third Period – Recalling the object
You are now going to ask the child to name the object. But only if you are confident that the child knows the names of each of the objects. This is the first time you will require the child to speak. This step should be skipped with children under 3.
‘Billy, can you tell me what this is called?
It is very important that you are setting the child up for success because this is the step where confidence is either gained or lost. As I’ve mentioned before, if the child gets it wrong you will just make a mental note without correcting them and leave the lesson for another day.
When you have finised, wrap up the lesson by giving the child a quick recap.
‘Billy, today we worked with fruits. We worked with Apple, Pear and Orange.’
How Do You Know When To Give A Three-Period Lesson?
Because Montessori education follows the child – you will take your cues from the child. You will know it’s time for a lesson when you notice your child is interested in learning something new about a specific topic. They might even ask you outright. This could be learning new letters, numbers, colors, or vocabulary.
We all learn better when we are interested in a topic. Spend some time observing your child to find out what they are ready to learn next!