As a parent interested in the Montessori method, you may have heard about the three-period lesson, a hallmark of Montessori education that helps young children learn vocabulary and concepts. In simple terms, the three steps, or periods, are: 1. Naming (Introduction) “This is a dog.” 2. Recognizing (Identification) “Show me the dog.” 3. Remembering (Cognition) “What …

Of course, we all need to move to get through life, but how children learn is intimately connected to their movements. When movement is involved, the brain is stimulated differently than it is when one is passively watching and listening. Especially in the face of our sedentary lifestyles and our …

In amazement we watch as the newborn responds to the world. We notice how infants startle at loud sounds, cry when hungry or wet, listen to mother’s soothing voice, and follow movements with their eyes. From infancy until about age three, the child is unconsciously absorbing the world through his …