This time line can be printed out and assembled for immediate classroom use.  It consists of 12 sections or pages that can be taped together in sequential order.  Each page has a place designated for the child’s picture and a shaded lined section for writing a few thoughts. Any child between the age of 5 and 13 may be invited to do a personal time line.  In fact, a student may wish to repeat this time line project every year that he/she attends school.  The parents’ cooperation is required in providing dated photographs. Approximate dates or just the year when the pictures were taken is sufficient.  A few written notes by the parent that accompany each photo can be very helpful.  The maximum number of pictures for each personal time line should be 12.  Ask the child to put the pictures and the corresponding notes in envelopes marked in sequential order of years and months. Younger children will need assistance with chronology. The personal time line is a combined exercise of chronological organization of the child’s life and practice at writing short anecdotal paragraphs about each picture.  A child may be invited to tape one picture on the time line and write a short paragraph of explanation each day or once a week or on a special day, for the sequence of 12 times, until the time line is complete.  The year of the picture should be written on the time line section and the month should be highlighted with a colored pencil or marker. Young children of age 5 or 6 may be helped by the teacher in the writing part.  Each subsequent year, the child may repeat the project with the same or different pictures, except that as he/she becomes more and more experienced, the writing will be done exclusively by the child.   The child should write a draft of each paragraph and have it checked before copying it correctly on the time line next to the corresponding picture.

The Montessori Pedagogical Notes published on the Montessori Files website are available for purchase by anyone. They are intended for exclusive use by the person who purchased them. These instructional notes are based on Dr. Montessori’s Method of education and have been elaborated by Franco Albanesi, A.M.I. subsequent to many years of study and practical classroom application. These notes are copyrighted property of Mr. Albanesi, all rights reserved.  In agreement with international copyright law, the buyer acknowledges and understands that such notes may not be duplicated and released to other people without written permission from the author.