Sensitive Periods - One of the Secrets of Childhood

Dr. Montessori’s concept of sensitive periods explains that children, from birth to age six, move through periods in their development when their minds are highly receptive to learning certain skills and knowledge. During this time the child has a strong desire to learn particular skills, and does so in a seemingly effortless manner, due to an intense inner drive. She also discovered that learning can still take place outside of the particular sensitive period, but it becomes far more difficult for the child to master it. 

During her many years of studying and observing children, Montessori recognized that during these periods, children were drawn to and focused on single aspects of their environment and that they easily acquired certain abilities.  She created manipulative materials to fulfill these needs, and after observing the children’s interactions with them, created a series of activities that would enable them to satisfy their developmental requirements a time of their choosing.

As parents, we have all noticed how our children respond to certain activities at one stage more than the other.  They focus in on a certain task, returning to it again and again, concentrating on it intensely for long stretches of time.  Then, for reasons unknown to us, their passion for the activity is gone and they move on to something else.  It is during a sensitive period that their developmental needs guide them to mastery of a task.  By using the sensitive periods as a guide and observing our children, we can provide the tools and create an environment in our homes that enables and encourages our children to act on these needs when they occur.

Dr. Montessori’s Chart of Sensitive Periods

Sensitive Period	Age
Movement	Birth-1
Language	Birth-6
Small Objects	1 - 4
Order	2 - 4
Music	2 - 6
Grace & Courtesy	2 - 6
Refinement of the Senses	2- 6
Writing	3 - 4
Reading	3 - 5
Spatial Relationships	4 - 6
Mathematics	4 - 6

Interestingly, the Suzuki Method for teaching children to play musical instruments follows many of the same theories and practices as the Montessori Method, including the concept of sensitive periods.  These include:

• Following the natural order of child development
• Playing an instrument from a young age, with formal training beginning between the ages of three and five (note the sensitive period for music)
• Sensory training
• Scaled-down instrument size for stringed instruments

During my time as a Montessori teacher, a five year old girl named Laura joined our class in the middle of the year.  Her mother was German and her father was Spanish.  Laura spoke both of these languages fluently, but spoke no English.  The teachers and children welcomed her but she very shyly sat on the sidelines.  She attended school each day, observing but not participating in any of the classroom activities, or interacting with any of her new classmates.  This continued for approximately one month.  Then, one day, she walked into the classroom, said “good morning”, and joined into all the classroom activities, speaking flawless English, with no trace of an accent.  This is a true example of the power of the sensitive period for language.   Any of us who took a language class during our school or adult years knows the difficulties of learning a foreign language with its grammar, vocabulary, tenses, and pronunciations.  Yet this child mastered it all in only one month.

"A child's different inner sensibilities enable him to choose from his complex environment what is suitable and necessary for his growth. They make the child sensitive to some things, but leave him indifferent to others. When a particular sensitiveness is aroused in a child, it is like a light that shines on some objects but not others, making of them his whole world." - Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

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February16, 2011

Children and Respect

Welcome to the Montessori At Home blog.  Here you will find discussions on topics that matter to parents, with an emphasis on the Montessori Method and homeschooling.  We hope you will find this blog interesting and thought-provoking.  We welcome your comments.

Children and Respect

Respect is a major cornerstone of the Montessori Method.  In traditional education, respect is viewed from an adult standpoint:  the teacher commands respect in order to run the classroom in an orderly manner and teach the curriculum.  Lack of respect causes disorder and prevents the teacher from doing his or her job.  Even in our own homes, we want and expect our children to obey and respect us as we nurture them, so that family life runs smoothly and efficiently.  As parents, we want to develop the three types of respect that are crucial in Montessori education:  self-respect, respect for others, and respect for the world around us.

We can promote self-respect in our children by valuing each child’s unique development.  We do this by observing our child’s needs and interests and making the resources available for him or her to act on them.  We show him how to do simple tasks he is interested in, i.e. pouring his own milk, setting the table, putting his clothes away, then make access to these tasks readily available for him to practice on his own.  By

making our home environment child-friendly and allowing free movement within it, we help our child develop trust in himself, as he finds that he can master his environment and work toward independence.  As the child becomes proficient, he develops self-respect.  Maria Montessori stated that her method helps a child “to act, will and think for himself”.  As parents, this is something we all want for our children.

Respect for others encompasses several different adult/child relationships:

1. Child’s respect for the adult - This evolves from the adult’s role as an understanding care-giver.  The child respects the adult for helping him gain independence and self-respect, by helping him to learn to do things for himself.   
2. Adult’s respect for the child - As mention earlier, the adult respects the child by acknowledging his uniqueness and creating an environment where he can develop, driven by his own inner needs.  In the Montessori classroom, no child is forced to abandon an activity until he is ready.  He may repeat the activity as many times as he wants and does not have to stop to participate in another activity. 
3. Child’s respect for other children - When a child in a Montessori classroom works on an activity, he creates a space for himself to work, either on a tray or mat at a table, or on a rug on the floor.  This space is respected by the other children in the classroom.  No child takes an activity from another or attempts to join the activity without getting permission from the child who is already working.  One child must wait until another has finished working with an activity and put it away before he or she can take it out and work with it.
4. Mutual respect - As a show of mutual respect in the Montessori classroom, each morning when the child enters the room, the child and teacher shake hands and say “good morning” to each other.  A daily “good morning” hug and kiss from us or our children is an excellent way to show mutual respect at home.  Additionally, Montessori emphasizes the role of good manners as a significant part of showing respect for others.

Finally, there is respect for the home/classroom environment.  This environment is set up by the adult to be pleasing to the senses and orderly.  It is a place where the child can feel comfortable and in control, which instills confidence and independence.  Every activity has a place, and when each new activity is introduced by the adult, there are three steps to working with it:  taking it from the shelf, playing with it, and returning it to the shelf.  Activities are made with high-quality, beautiful materials and are handled and treated with great care.  The fact that everything has a place makes it easy for the next child to find it.  Children require these surroundings as it helps them to know that they can master their environment and exist and thrive in a world that promotes order and makes sense. 

February 8, 2011