Language Game - Three Period Lesson
What is it
Dr Maria Montessori adapted the Method Seguin (French physician and educationist) to her Method when “teaching” language to children.
We use this technique in the Children’s House to give language to a child (can be the name of animals, qualities of objects, numbers, letters…), anything we want the child to learn. Instead of directly teaching them, we “play a game”.
This game is called Three Period Lesson.
It is always better to give a Three Period once your child has had enough experience with the material or object you want to give the language. For example: make sure he has seen a bird before if you want to give him the names of different birds, flowers if you want to offer him the names of the parts of a flower... Do you get the idea? It is easy to learn something when we are familiar with it.
At home you can play this game as well. It is so much fun!!
ARE YOU READY??
What do you need
floor - floor mat
3 objects, cards, fruits….
Choose JUST 3 objects, cards, shapes, animals… Whatever your child is interested in.
At the moment, at ours, the interest is in animals and food.
To start with, try to find contrasting names, sounds, shapes, colours… so the impression your child will have will be more contrasting between them.
As your child categorises everything you show him to understand what is around him, it will help if what we offer belongs to the same family. For example, when showing animals, we could show farm animals, African animals, sea creatures. This way, we
help the child to know what belongs together. Same with vegetables, fruits…
How to play
There are three stages in this game.
* Note that for a child under the age of 3 we will only do the first two stages.
First stage: The Association of the Senses / Perceptions with Names.
Ø Naming the concept.
This is an introduction, so keep it short and sweet. Name several times the same concept clearly.
The main aim is to establish an association between an object and its quality (colour, shape, quality…)
Second stage: The Recognition of the Object Corresponding to the Name.
Ø Giving experience with this new concept.
This is the most critical stage; your child will connect the name with the object. By repeating the names, you will help your child to learn that new word. By asking him to point, pick and move the objects, he will fix that name in his mind.
The focus here has to be on the concept, so the instructions given will be to point, pick, give me, put it here... something short that allows him to focus all his attention on the material/object/cards.
If your child makes a mistake, please keep going with the questions, and ask him later for the same concept. Don’t correct him or say no. If he struggles to remember one name, stick to the ones he knows. That might be a clue that he was not ready yet for that lesson or needs another lesson.
Third stage: Remembrance of the Name Corresponding to the Object.
Ø Asking to name the objects.
This is the verification stage. This stage is pretty short. Isolate each object in front of your child and ask: “Do you know this?” or “What is this?”
It is vital to keep this experience POSITIVE and FUN. So don’t correct mispronunciation or misnaming an object.
Take a mental note, but never correct what your child has said. Leave it for another time you “play the game”.
Are you ready ???
Let’s play
Stage 1
1. Bring one animal at a time and place it in front of your child and name it. “Elephant. Elephant. This is an elephant”. Encourage him to repeat.
2. Put it on a site and bring the next animal. Repeat as above.
3. Once you have introduced the three animals, bring them in line in front of your child and name them one by one. Encourage him to repeat each time.
Stage 2
* Change the position of the objects between questions.
* Make it fun! This is a game :)
1. Can you point to the monkey?
2. Can you pick the giraffe?
3. Can you pick the elephant, please? Thank you.
4. Can you please give me the giraffe?
5. Can you put the monkey here please? (Point at left top corner of the table)
6. Can you point at the elephant, please?
7. Can you pick the giraffe, please?
8. Can you give me the elephant?
9. Can you put the monkey here? (Point at the top side of the table)
10. Can you cover with your hand the elephant, please?
11. Can you give me the giraffe, please?
12. Can you put the monkey here, please? (Point at the left lower corner of the table)
Stage 3
Align the three animals on the mat.
1. Pick one animal and place it in front of your child.
2. What is this?
3. Repeat the process with the other two animals.
What’s next?
If your child has named the objects on the 3rd stage, he remembers and knows their names. Choose new animals, fruits, clothes for the next game.
If he hasn’t, choose those for the next time you play this game.
If you feel your child needs some boost of confidence to break the ice playing this game, you can add one object that you know for sure he knows. This will give him confidence.
