Along with controlled error and freedom to choose your own work, nothing is quite as Montessori as the three-period lesson. The three-period lesson is a focused and precise way of presenting new vocabulary and concepts to children in a consistent manner, allowing them a sense of comfort and security. They know what to expect every time something new is presented and can focus their entire attention on the concept rather than on the structure of the lesson.

The structure of the three-period lesson is simple. It is made up of three phases:

The Three-Period Lesson and Generalization: Helping Cognitive Processing in the Montessori Environment

If we look at Bloom’s taxonomy, the three-period lesson aligns with the first three levels of the pyramid:

(Cornwell, 2011) from http://juliaec.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/blooms_taxonomy.jpg

While the process of the three-period lesson remains static, we can add variety to the language we use within the lesson to promote generalization, the child’s ability to use knowledge in new ways.

This transfer of knowledge to new scenarios helps children internalize and master new concepts.

Thomas Caffery, board-certified behavior analyst and parent of a child with autism, recommends being proactive when helping children learn to generalize concepts. (Caffrey, 2014) We can do this with our language and what we ask the child to demonstrate.