The advice I have received is you can start presenting a three period lesson as early as you like. A toddler might only get as far as the second period especially if they aren't very verbal. Honestly the only reason I haven't used it earlier with Otis is because I kept of forgetting the steps, the periods. Every time I thought about it I missed a step and it didn't make sense. So I did something I haven't admitted before and printed out a cue card!
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I was prepared to stop at the second period but I was totally surprised by his willingness to verbalise the name of the items. I have actually found this a great and really effective way to expand his vocabulary. Otis doesn't say a lot of words so each new word feels like an achievement. Out of this lesson I presented today the tractor is the only name that has stuck but still I think that is fantastic.
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These little cars and trucks are stored in a basket in our living area and are played with everyday. These are the exact trucks Otis was observing at three months.
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If you read a few blogs you'll find that everyone presents this lesson a little differently. I won't tell you how it should be presented but the card contains the steps and words that I like to use. A couple of tips include to use items your child is already familiar with and choose the time you present this wisely. In the last two weeks Otis's rhythm has changed and he now concentrates best in the afternoon. Actually this would be a good lesson to present before matching work if your child wasn't already familiar with the names of the items.
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If you have a younger child you might be interested to read how Jodi presented a three period lesson to Logan at thirteen months at Monkey Toes Montessori.
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