When planning lessons that incorporate Montessori elements, there are some important things to remember. Typically, Montessori lessons include practical life skills, hands on components, a method of assessment (either self-assessment or teacher assessment), and one or more senses.
Often a Montessori lesson will be an activity that students can complete independently, or in pairs or small groups, and that can be done multiple times. Often they are very simple and do not require pencils and paper, but instead consist of a tray with various items and a specific way to use them. When introducing a new lesson, teachers will give a brief demonstration to students and explain what they will be doing and why. After mastering the lesson, students should be able to articulate the reasoning behind it and meet the standards set by the teacher.
Montessori lessons are often activity based and are available for students to use when they desire. Often a shelf houses several shallow trays with different activities or lessons. You may see a kindergarten classroom where one student is cracking a bowl of pistachio nuts, and another is laying a mat on the floor and matching different cards together. You may see a preschool student using sand trays or they may practice writing using sand paper letters before they actually move to pencil and paper.
The range of activities, modalities, and objectives vary as much as the students who participate.
The following pages will offer some examples of Montessori lesson plans.