Sensitive Periods of Development

The phrase ‘sensitive periods’ refers to a period of time when it is easier for the child to acquire particular skills than at any other time in their life.

According to Montessori Theory, the most important sensitive periods occur between birth and age six. Each sensitive period lasts for as long as it is necessary for a child to complete a particular stage in their development. When the sensitive period is over, the intense desire is gone and the opportunity to learn deeply and easily is gone.

Here's a general time frame for each sensitive period:

 
During sensitive periods, the brain has given a signal that it is time to accomplish some specific developmental task. The child seeks and hopefully finds something in the environment that gives him the opportunity to exercise that newly developing skill. The child then chooses to work at it until the skill is firmly in place, then loses interest, and moves on to the next sensitive period.

You’ll know when your child is in a sensitive period because they are engaged, passionate, and energized by working on this specific activity or skill, and often return to it again and again. A new skill will emerge out of this repetition.

Interrupting a child while they are in the middle of an intense sensitive period can result in frustration and naughtiness for a child, which is what many adults label as an exaggerated reaction a.k.a. ‘tantrum’. Adults may perceive the interruption to be merely a small disruption to the child’s routine but to the child, it is an internal struggle to decide if he should satisfy his needs for development or comply to the adults’ instructions. It is imperative for the learning environment to be properly prepared for a child’s sensitive period to aid the child in their natural development.

The sensitive periods are powerful and if we block them, even without realizing it, we can cause a repression of the child’s energy.

What sensitive period is your child currently in?