The Montessori Three-Period Lesson is how Montessori materials are presented to children.

This comes after the presentation on how the particular materials is to be cared for and handled.

This includes how to carry it from the shelf to the table or mat, how to place it in an orderly fashion on the tale or mat, how to place it back on the tray and how to put it back on its correct place on the shelf, etc.

I will explain the Three-Period Lesson is and how to apply it in this post, but you can also get this three-period lesson printable at the end of this post so you can have it on hand and use it whenever you introduce a material to a child.

Please remember to visit our resources hub for Montessori Curriculum 3-6 activities and lessons!

The Montessori at home Three-Period Lesson

First Period: The Naming Phase

As this period’s name denotes, it is the period where the nomenclature (vocabulary) is introduced.

During this period, the two most important things to remember are: isolation and repetition.

Introduce one item at a time and focus on the one object only before moving on to the next object.

Always give the answers by pointing and saying the name.

The teachers says, “This is ______.” and names the object, materials or concept. 

For example, when the teacher is introducing the Geometric Solids, she will point to the shape and say “This is a sphere. This is a blue sphere. Sphere.”

Repetition creates more of a memory imprint in the child’s mind, so don’t be shy to repeat in different ways.

Second Period: The Association Phase

During this period, the teacher will no longer point to an object and say the name.

Now, it is the child’s turn to show recognition of what was presented during the first period.

The teacher will say, “Show me _______.” and name the object, material or concept.

Always begin with the object that was introduced last (unless it is a Math presentation, in which case you do present it in the correct numerical order).

Wait for the child to find the object.

For example, when the teacher is introducing the Geometric Solids, she will focus on the object names as all objects are blue.

But if the material introduced is, for example, the Brown Stair, a size attribution may be given (“Show me the large rectangular prism.” or “Show me the smallest rectangular prism.”).

Third Period: The Recalling Phase

In this phase, the child will confirm that he/she has learned the material thoroughly and, hopefully, has mastered it.

In this phase, the teacher will know whether the Three-Lesson Period needs to be repeated or not.

The teachers will point to an object and say, “What is this?” and wait for the child to name the object.

As you can see, the teacher is no longer using any of the nomenclature, but is rather putting that on the child to recall.

You may decide to (and agree on) use the third period for nomenclature (object name) or you may also use it for object size or color as well.

Make sure the child understand that if you point to an object and expect size and he answers with “a cube,” even though the object’s name is correct, you are expecting “large, medium or small.”

Montessori Book List

Montessori from the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age ThreeThe Montessori MethodThe Absorbent MindHow To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori WayMontessori: A Modern Approach: The Classic Introduction to Montessori for Parents and TeachersTeaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School YearsTeach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your ChildMontessori at Home Guide: A Short Guide to a Practical Montessori Homeschool for Children Ages 2-6 (Volume 2)Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori EducationThe Discovery of the Child

Montessori Resources List

NEW Montessori Sensorial Package 1a (Family Set – Brown stair, Pink tower, premium Cylinder blocks) by PinkMontessoriArich Montessori Sensorial Material Learning Color Tablet Box Wood Preschool Toy 3#NEW Montessori Sensorial Auditory Material – Sound Cylinders Sound Boxes Kids Educational Toys For TodderMontessori Sensorial Materials Scale for Early Preschool Learning ToyMontessori Knobless Cylinders With Socket Kids Early Development Sensorial Material Colorful Cylinder Ladder BlocksMontessori Sensorial Materials Thermic Tablets for Preschool Early Learning ToyNEW Montessori Sensorial Material – Knobless Cylinders (Set of 4) by PinkMontessoriNEW Montessori Sensorial material – Solid Basswood Pink Tower by PinkMontessoriNEW Montessori Sensorial Material – Basswood Brown Stairs by PinkMontessoriMonkeyJack Beechwood Montessori Geometric Solids Blocks Set Kids Early Learn Solid Geometry and Plane Geometry Educational Wooden Toys

Thank you for visiting our The Montessori Three-Period Lesson post!

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