The Three-Period Montessori Approach to Teaching New Concepts

Child Writing
Image: pexels.com

A business graduate of Brooklyn College, Elzana Misshula is a longtime New York resident with a passion for reading and classic cinema. Focused on parenting in her daily life, Elzana Misshula has enrolled her children in a Montessori School. 

One of the fundamental aspects of Montessori education is the three-period lesson, which is utilized when introducing a new concept to children. An example of this involves using cubes of varying sizes to teach the terms small and big. 

The first period involves isolating the target language, with cubes picked up in tandem with the simple demonstrative sentences “this is small… small” and “this is big… big.” Children are encouraged to handle the cubes and take their time in employing the desired words. 

Period two is for association and recognition, with students asked to verbalize the Montessori material names themselves when prompted. Requests given include “show me… small/big,” as well as other simple sentences such as “place big on the tray” and “return small to the shelf.” An extension of the first period, this period has a tendency to be rushed by many teachers, when this critical formative period should be the longest.

The third period involves recall through “what is this… ?” questions, which encourage the child to process and master the information learned individually. Mastering a skill in this way builds competency and confidence step by step, and leaves children wanting to know more.