Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Three Hour Montessori Work Period



This was a short parent article to explain our work/study period.

Three Hour Montessori Work Period
Gail Moore

Montessori study periods are based on the three-hour work period.  During this three-hour work period, the children are allowed to focus on their passionate interest of the moment.  This means if a child chooses a large math work, they can work on that activity for the entire time if that is their choice.  It is normal for the children to need a “coffee break” sometime between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. where they get up from their work and socialize, snack or observe others at work.  This break is called “false fatigue”.  After this break, the child can return to their work and focus for additional periods of time.  Others find new work to engage their interests.
Many classrooms depend on a circle time to set the ground rules for the work, discuss the day’s events, and give special presentations.    Children who participate in these circle times generally feel more grounded and secure during their work time.  Those who miss the circle time seem to have more difficulty settling into the Montessori work period.  Thank you for helping your child have the best Montessori experience possible by helping them arrive in time to feel like they belong in the class group.

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