A Montessori Moment: The Three Period Name Lesson

This year long series looks at the experiences of teachers, parents, students, and Montessori education itself, as we follow a student through his first year at a Montessori Preschool. The Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year is a collection of useful stories, tips, and information that has arisen from one real student's Montessori journey, viewed through the eyes of his Montessori Teacher, Bree Von Nes.

A Humorous Montessori Moment
I would like to share with you a story of what happened today while working with the Montessori Color Tablet Box 1 (red, yellow & blue tablets). Jordan and I had been working with the red, yellow and blue Color Tablets and when it was time to provide a three period name lesson with all the three colors, the funniest thing happened:

• Period 1: Introduction (This is…) I pointed out the three colors while naming each one for Jordan (this is red, this is yellow, this is blue).
• Period 2: Association/Recognition (Show me…) Then I asked Jordan to point out each of the three Color Tablets (show me red, show me yellow, show me blue).
• Period 3: Recall (What is this…?) The final period is confirming the student’s knowledge and asking for the actual name. I pointed to the red Color Tablet and asked, “What is this?” and Jordan gave me the funniest answer:“Teacher Bree, if you don’t know your colors by now, maybe I should be giving you a lesson!”

I had such a hard time keeping a straight face because he said it with such seriousness. Jordan really felt I was asking him to tell me the color because I couldn't remember what it was……after 18 years of Montessori teaching, that was a first for me!

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Friday, October 15, 2010.