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? Keep reading this post at my NEW blog! ~Lisa Nolan
First photo credit: shanntastic / Foter / CC BY