What is a three-period lesson?
A three-period lesson teaches a child new words in three steps: naming ("This is red"), recognition ("Show me red") and recall ("What is this?"). In FutureNerds, a guide records the lesson against the competency, such as Color Tablets, as presented, practicing or mastered.
The three periods
| Period | The guide says | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Naming | "This is rough. This is smooth." | Nothing yet; the child hears the word with the object |
| 2. Recognition | "Show me rough." "Put smooth here." | The child connects the word to the object |
| 3. Recall | "What is this?" | The child can say the word without help |
Most of the lesson happens in the second period. The guide plays games with the objects until the child is sure, and moves to recall only then. If the child cannot answer in recall, the guide goes back to the second period on another day instead of correcting.
Montessori took the three periods from the work of Édouard Séguin. They are used across the classroom: sandpaper letters, geometric shapes, colors, and the names of countries or plants.
How the lesson shows in your records
The three periods map well onto mastery levels. After the first lesson, the child is presented. While the child is still in the second period, they are practicing. When the child can recall the word on their own, they have mastered it.
How to record a three-period lesson in FutureNerds
- Open the classroom's Plan Work Cycle page, or tap Quick Record.
- Pick the child and the competency, such as Sandpaper Letters or Color Tablets.
- Set the level: presented after the first lesson, practicing while the child is in the second period, mastered when the child recalls the word.
- Add a short note of which words the child knew.
- Turn on "Share with parents" if the family should see it.
Questions and answers
What are the three periods of a three-period lesson?
Naming, recognition and recall. The guide names the object, asks the child to show it, then asks the child to name it.
Who created the three-period lesson?
Maria Montessori adapted it from the work of Édouard Séguin, a French doctor who taught children with disabilities in the 1800s.
How do I record a three-period lesson?
In FutureNerds, record the lesson against its competency as presented, practicing or mastered, and add a note of the words the child knew.