Can You Give a Toddler a Montessori Lesson?

Toddler sitting on grass looking at board books

Want to know the truth? Most toddlers don't really like Montessori three-period lessons: they are still learning how to control their bodies (and bodily functions!). They rebel against help and interference from adults, like diaper changes, getting dressed, sitting at the dinner table, and taking a nap...

And they insist on doing everything themselves! The trouble is they (still) need a lot of help! So you are always trying to help while letting them do it themselves!

So how does giving a three-period lesson work in a Montessori environment for this age group?

It doesn't!

(My son's Montessori toddler teacher--with over 30 years of experience, will laugh at you when you pose the question!)

If you are working with toddlers, my advice is to hold off on giving those three-period lessons until age three, and put out activities the toddler needs no help with.

And you can rotate activities: take out what is too hard or frustrating for her (what she swats off the table, or throws, or never chooses); as well as what she has mastered--what is too easy... while still keeping her favorite activities in the environment.

Why are toddlers so hard to pin down and give a lesson to? 

1) They do not have an attention span, or it is fleeting (one day they do, one day they don't).

2) They do not have the social skills (during a three-period lesson) to say, "I'm done, let's put this away!" or "I want to do something else, now."

3) They are still in a large motor movement stage of development, so they will not sit for long!

Suggestions: Again, have activities that do not require a lesson. What's important is to spend more time observing your toddler in the environment for his interests--likes and dislikes; and his skill level (can he hold a piece of chalk or pour pasta, yet?).

And by observing your tot, you can add, rotate, and change activities, based on your observations.

I loved the following email comment I got recently regarding "Can You Give a Toddler a Lesson," and wanted to share it with you:

I am a Certified Infant and Toddler Montessori educator in Lincoln, Maine and this age group is a true test of Montessori philosophy when Maria Montessori said, "Wait while observing. That is the motto of the Montessori educator."

We as Montessori educators are here as observers and guides only. It is the children who are our teachers. I leave my toddler Montessori materials out always and they are very drawn to the materials at that time when I see the interest, I attempt to make a very quick lesson introduction, like the knobbed cylinders. If you set up discouraging materials that are not appropriate, you will almost see them stay away from the whole shelf. I can probably count the number of times on my hand I have successfully given a three-period lesson with a child under three but, oh my gosh what a "Montessori Moment" when it does happen. --K. N., Building Blocks Montessori in Lincoln, Maine

Here are other comments I've received from readers on what appears to be one of my most popular blog posts:

This blog post is 'the missing link' for me with Montessori - I have never tried lessons with her because it seems insane - she learns by imitation and by doing things herself - but sitting down and watching - no way! And your post about mats was helpful too - thanks--Gypsy

Ah, confirmation! I am a homeschooling mom who has been reading everything I can get my hands Montessori related. I have simply provided an ordered environment and I rotate work/activities that my just 2yo can do themselves. Every once in a while the opportunity for a lesson presents itself but nothing steady yet. Thank you for the confirmation that this is normal toddler behavior. I love your blog!--Theresa, hs mom of 4

Ok, I know this is a really old post, but I ran across it by googling. As a Montessori Assistant to Infancy (0-3), I give toddlers lessons all day long. They look a little different than 3-6 lessons and have more turn-taking in the middle of the long ones, especially for Practical life. 3-period lessons: I drop the 3rd period, and wait for the child to verbalize the word on their own. Sooner or later, they usually will, especially once they hit the language explosion (somewhere 18 mo-2ish, usually. we bake bread, washcloths and dishes, button, and polish shoes... and so many other things. Some of the lessons take a few minutes. Some take twenty or more. I've seen 18-month-olds sit for over half an hour practicing, after a 5-minute lesson on a material. It's all in finding the right material for the child, at that particular moment. It can definitely be challenging... but so wonderful too!

But following the child is always a good beginning,,, and as someone who worked with toddlers for years before taking the training, I also understand how hard it is to figure out how to do it without all the practice a training specific to toddlers provides. Best wishes! --Monte Celery

This is encouraging to know... I'm just starting some Montessori-style learning experiences with my daughter. However, it appears we've been using Montessori principles all along! I'm now following your lovely blog - come say hi at Just for Daisy next time you sit down with a cuppa!--rebekah (at) justfordaisy

 ~Lisa Nolan

First photo credit: shanntastic / Foter / CC BY

My Free E-books @

Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Homeschooler - TeachersPayTeachers.com

And now for my top posts!

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Simone Davies of The Montessori Notebook

How to talk with children is a lesson we all seem to need. Even as infants they learn from how and what we say to them. We are thrilled to have Simone Davies back with us to walk us through the How2Talk2Kids method of communicating with our children. It ’ s a pleasure to be back guest blogging here. I love the energy of this group and your passion and interest in incorporating Montessori into your homes. I ’ m exactly the same. When my children were born  (already 12 and 13 years ago!), I wanted to learn a different way to be with them. I didn’t want to force learning on them; I wanted to discover and explore the world together and guide them along the way. But I found my communication skills lacking. A repertoire of “good girl/good boy,” “what a great job,” or “don’t worry, it’s just a scratch” came flowing out of my mouth in the same way we had been raised by our parents. The words I used just didn’t seem to be consistent with the way I wanted to raise my kids, for ...

Montessori and Baby Sign Language Question

"If Dr. Maria Montessori were alive, would she suggest baby sign language?" I used to ask myself that question a lot! I do not think she would be against it since she worked with handicapped and special needs children early on in her career. But I don’t think she would have included it into her infant toddler curriculum, either—just a hunch. I was opposed to it for my son, who has Down syndrome until I watched a DVD for parents of young children with Down syndrome. And it had to do with auditory skills. For example, if I were to say to my son, “juice,” he might hear “juh” or “u” or “s” but not “juice.” Now, let’s say I hold up a cup of his juice and I sign “juice,” he would understand me by seeing the sign and the juice, but he probably would not hear the word correctly. (It later turned out my son had hearing loss.) So now you sign to him “juice,” and he has a mental picture of “juice” and can sign it back. After I watched this DVD and they talked about sign lan...

Montessori FAQs About When to Begin Cursive

I have many questions regarding teaching cursive letters. My three-year-old son is in a Montessori school now. However, the teacher is using print letters for teaching him. I personally want my son to learn cursive letters because I know it has many advantages. I have discussed this with the teacher, but she insists on using print letters. Is my son going to be confused because his teacher is teaching printed letters (ball and stick) while I'm teaching cursive letters? Any disadvantages to my son? Also, how can I start? Developmentally, your three-year-old son might not show any interest in cursive letters, so, be careful. The cursive letters are very abstract, more so than print letters (stick and ball as they are often called). And also, cursive letters are taught for writing. And remember, writing comes BEFORE reading in Montessori. The window to begin writing is age four to five (and is highest usually at age 4 1/2 and is called "The Writing Explosion" in Mont...

Montessori and Potty Training Boys

My son E. is 26 months old and has been wearing underwear for about a week during the day (cloth diapers at night). For the first day or two, he'd make it to the potty about half the time... But after those first few days, any suggestion of the potty upset him very much. So, I stopped mentioning the potty, thinking he was still learning about his body... The past few days he has not attempted to go to the potty at all, just has accidents all day. Should I be doing something else? If so, what? Should I try to get him to help clean up? If so, how? Have I missed his window of opportunity? Oh! The joys of potty training! Boys? Oh boy! Boys (when they potty train or potty learn ) act just as you described! They are fickle! What to do? 1. Don't show emotions when your child has accidents or refuses to try to go in the potty, just be matter-of-fact. 2. Don't expect the child to clean up accidents, you can invite them to help you, but at age 26 months they might not have t...

Montessori & the benefits of the geoboard!

The geoboard is one of the most beneficial materials in a Montessori classroom and at home. It is both a Practical Life activity and a Sensorial activity, depending on how you use it (present it to the child). Practical Life "All the practical life activities, in addition to improving hand-eye coordination and muscle control, are designed to increase the child's ability to concentrate [and to also go from left to right, and from top to bottom]." Montessori on a Limited Budget by Elvira Farrow and Carol Hill Practical Life Introduction from my Montessori training manual: "Exercises in Practical Life are given the greatest importance. Exercises in Practical Life help the child mainly in his efforts to adapt to his limited space, and his group, and to achieve independence. They answer his need expressed by "Let me do it by myself." They are excellent for the toddler old who is struggling to bring his psychic needs in accord with his physical development by de...

Montessori Sewing Works by Aimee Fagan, author of Sewing in the Montessori Classroom: a practical life curriculum

If I had to pick just one type of work to stock my practical life shelves with, it would be sewing. I am NOT an accomplished sewer. Actually, I think it has been over a year since I pulled out my sewing machine, and then I prefer to make clothing with elasticized waists. But, when it comes to the classroom, I think nothing beats handwork. Maria Montessori stated that the activities of practical life should be meaningful, looking around my classroom, I wanted to find activities that still had meaning for today’s children. Polishing is great, but how many children really see their parents polishing the silver place settings? Spooning, tonging, pouring, and the like are quickly mastered when we leave the lessons simple and isolated on the tray. What materials could we use that would appeal to the 3-year-old and remain enticing through age 6 or beyond? Sewing. A child’s engagement with practical life materials is what prepares him for later success in the classroom. These handwork acti...

A Montessori Infant and Toddler Home Environment

I get a lot of questions about how to do Montessori at home with infants and their toddler siblings. So I created a Montessori Infant and Sibling Series. This is part one. Questions How do I organize the workroom areas (where all the Montessori-related materials are going to be) including a two-year-old area (such as [an] art section, math section, etc.) and an 11-month-old area of the room? What about their bedrooms and the living room? Which room should I start with first? It's just overwhelming. Should I make up a daily schedule first, or organize (plan, shop, and display) all the materials first? And how do I decide what I should put on the shelves for each of my children? A Montessori infant and toddler school (and non-Montessori school) will have two classrooms, and the toddlers can be in the infant classroom (like before and after school like at daycare time) but the infants do not go in the toddler classroom. So you will have circle and or storytime and s...

The Working Mom's Guide to Montessori in the Home by Meghan of Milkweed and Montessori

There are all sorts of reasons for bringing Montessori home. And there are all sorts of ways of doing it. There doesn't have to be   a divide between working moms and stay-at-home   moms (who are, of course, also working). There really are just moms, and we’re all just doing our best. Let’s have a bit of grace with each other (and ourselves), shall we? With that said, there are some practical differences.   Those of us who go out of the home to work have to focus our efforts on shorter time slots and more specific times of the day. There may not be as much time for themed trays and seasonal artwork, but there can be simplicity, respect, and a prepared environment. Here are a few ways we try to bring Montessori into our home: 1.  Focus on the environment.  Maybe you can’t give your child all of the time you’d like to, but you can prepare a space in the home that is his own. It doesn’t even have to be a lot of space. By creating a welcoming environment for the und...

Montessori and Composting with Kids

When I was a Montessori teacher for 20 years, I learned how to compost with the children at our Montessori school. Now that I am a work-at-home mom, and my son is older, I started composting with him this summer: I combined what I learned as a Montessori teacher with what I had around the house.  First, I grabbed an old Styrofoam  ice chest that was taking up room in our garage. I poked holes in all the sides, including the bottom, with a large screwdriver. Then I layered a little soil and manure on the bottom and watered it just a tad.  Next, I got a basket with handles for my son to gather "brown waste" from our yard: leaves and dried grasses, and small sticks.  We then retrieved our kitchen-counter compost and poured some "green waste" on the compost. FYI: No dairy or meat goes in the compost.  So now we have both brown and green waste together. That's important for healthy compost! Next, we added a few cups of soil. It is not necessary to add soil. I use it ...

The Arctic: Montessori Activities

In a Montessori environment, the study of a continent (for ages 3 to 6) entails introducing activities in Geography, Zoology, Botany, and Culture, to name a few. Today we are going to look at the continents of Arctica and Antarctica. When we think of these continents at both ends of the world, we think of ice and snow. So the very first day or week of activities to introduce to your home school or classroom environment are Sensorial activities and should include ice (and snow if you live near snow in wintertime). FYI: The links on this page were updated on 12/10/2023... The following are Arctic animals and ice cube and snowflake activities from the My Montessori Journey blog:  Snowflake Matching Cards Snowflake Cut and Paste booklets "Iceberg" Activity Arctic Animals Books Melt an Ice Cube Game Don't live near the snow? Try this "Make your own Fake sensory snow that feels real"  activity. The second day or week  the set of activities to introduce would be  Prac...