I have been thinking a lot recently about one of the central elements of Montessori pedagogy — the Sensitive Periods. This is one of the many aspects of Montessori's theory of development that has since been scientifically accepted, now that technology and research have finally caught up to her intuition! The sensitive periods are defined as 'guiding instincts' that direct a child's interest and efforts toward specific things at different periods of development. The main ones during preschool years include the sensitive period for language acquisition, order, sensory refinement, and movement. They are windows of time during which the child is the most interested in that which will assist in gaining a particular skill or milestone--and as we all know, interest is one of the most critical components in successful learning. After the sensitive period concludes, it is not entirely impossible to acquire the skill, just much more difficult and painstaking.

When you see your child testing physical boundaries or balance, filling pages and pages with scribbles of 'writing,' arranging all the shoes in your entryway according to size, or reciting a book perfectly after only hearing it read aloud once or twice, these are examples of sensitive periods in action. Luckily, they are often observable to us, and offer a little glimpse into the inner lives of children and how we may best assist them. Our guides are always watching closely for signs of these, and try to respond at the right times with the correctly matched work — not too easy, not too difficult, providing ample opportunity for the child to self-instruct and self-correct. The result, when a presentation has been well-timed, is an absorbed, engaged child, capable of amazingly long periods of concentration, who emerges from the cycle of activity looking refreshed and peaceful!

The sensitive periods represent the "why" behind all developmental phenomena, and as adults entrusted with the care of young people, we must aways be asking ourselves that question. This is also what is meant by the oft-repeated Montessori phrase "follow the child!”

Maya