How to Recognize and Support Sensitive Periods in Your Child’s Development

The phrase ‘sensitive periods’ often conjures up thoughts of moody teenagers, but it actually refers to a period of time when a child’s interests are focused on developing a particular skill or knowledge area.

Birth to age six

According to Montessori Theory, the most important sensitive periods occur between birth and age six. In other pedagogies, sensitive periods are commonly referred to as windows of opportunity or developmental milestones. During their first six years of life, children move through five main categories of sensitive periods, including order, language, sensory skills, movement, and social skills. Each sensitive period lasts for as long as it is necessary for a child to complete a particular stage in their development. These periods of special sensitivity are only temporary and fade once the aim is accomplished.

Recognizing sensitive periods in your child’s development may be easier than you think. Have you ever wondered why your child wants to repeat the same song or story a million times? It may drive you crazy, but these are classic symptoms of sensitivity.

Other characteristics of sensitive periods may include mimicking, intense concentration, and compulsive or obsessive behaviors. Interrupting a child while they are in the middle of an intense sensitive period can result in a powerful emotional response such as a tantrum. Break a routine that a child is attempting to understand and master, such as getting dressed, bath time, or bedtime, and some children will emotionally fall apart. The ‘terrible twos’ for example, are often an exaggerated reaction to small disruptions in order that may not be perceived by adults. This is because they are likely to be in a sensitive period for learning, and their ‘work’ is being interrupted.

Order

The sensitive period for order begins at birth, peaks in the second year of development, and continues through to around age five. This period of development teaches how to develop their reasoning skills, organize information, and understand their environment. Sensitivity to order can be characterized by a desire for consistency and repetition, where children crave routine and structure. During this period of sensitivity, children may be more interested in putting things in order and packing things away, than they are in playing with their toys. To support the sensitive period for order, it is important to establish ground rules, a solid routine, and create an organized environment where everything has a place.

Language

From birth to age six, children are in the sensitive period for language. Sensitivity to language involves three key phases: spoken language, written language, and reading. The sensitive period for spoken language is from 7 months to 3 years of age. It begins when the child first creates sounds by mimicking mouth movements, and progresses over time, as they learn to form words and simple sentences.

The sensitive period for learning to write is from 3.5 to 4.5 years of age. This begins when the child learns the alphabet, and then sight words, which form the foundation for reading and writing skills.

For reading, a child is intensely interested from 4.5 to 5.5 years of age. Reading skills are often developed after a child learns to write as it involves visual tracking skills.

To support language development at home, it is important to immerse your child in an environment that is rich in language stimulation. This involves speaking to your child in clear language, singing and reading with them, and allowing them to speak their needs instead of anticipating them.

Sensory Skills

Children begin to understand and refine their senses from birth to age five. This period of sensitivity can be characterized by a child’s fascination with sensorial experiences such as touch, taste, sight, and smell.

The first phase of sensory awareness, sensitivity to small objects, occurs from one to three years of age. This period can be characterized by a child’s fixation with small objects and tiny details. The completion of this phase indicates that an understanding of order and detail are coming together in the child’s mind.

The second sensitivity phase, sensorial exploration, and classification occur from 2.5 to 6 years. This phase can be classified by an intense desire to take part in learning experiences that integrate the senses. These experiences provide children with a system to classify objects within their environment.

To support sensory sensitivity, it is important to provide your child with vast opportunities to explore and observe their environment using their senses. At home, you could provide your child with opportunities to group objects with similar traits, describe materials with different textures, and practice sensory based games like ‘I Spy.’

Movement

The sensitive period for movement can be divided into two phases. From birth to 2.5 years, children are sensitive to gross and fine motor development. This begins when the infant child learns to crawl, pull up, and eventually walk without assistance. Over time, children also develop fine motor skills through repeating activities that strengthen their hand muscles and improve hand-eye coordination.

From 2.5 to 4.5 years of age, children enter the sensitive period for refinement and coordination of movement. This is when the child begins to hold items using both hands, develop the pincer grip, and control and coordinate movement.

To support the development of fine and gross motor skills, it is important to provide your child with regular visits to the park or an outdoor environment. At home, you can encourage sensitive periods for movement by providing your child with opportunities to practice tasks, such as drawing or writing, washing hands, threading, and jumping.

Social Skills

From 2.5 to 5 years, children learn that they are part of a group and develop an intense interest in social relationships. During this time, children learn to direct their actions, attention and behavior towards a group of people. This is the stage of development where children learn to develop friendships and participate in co-operative play. The sensitive period for social skills is an appropriate stage to introduce the importance of manners and basic principles of human interaction.

To support the development of social skills in your child, it is important to provide your child with opportunities to socialize with children their own age. At home, you can model positive social behaviors, and practice grace and courtesy rituals such as saying “please” and “thank you.”

Recognizing and supporting sensitive periods in your child’s development begins with a knowledge of what is typical at different ages. The other aspect is simply observing your child and allowing them to progress at their own pace. To support your child during this special time of learning, it is important to provide them with a supportive learning environment that provides stimulus appropriate to their stage of development. This includes ensuring adequate time and materials are available and respecting the individual interests and passions of your child. It is through observation that the needs of the child are revealed. As always, follow the child, and tuck away some extra patience for the days they want to sing the ABC song over and over again.

Ages 6-12

Social Development

During the primary years children often engage in what is referred to as parallel play, when they sit beside one another but focus on their own agenda. In the elementary years, there is a definite shift; children crave the company of their peers. They want to sit together, talk together, work together, and learn from each other. They learn the many benefits of friendship while also developing skills to resolve conflict and work together as a group. They learn the delicate balance between the needs of the group and their individual needs. 

Understanding and Interest in Justice and Morals

When children at this age have recess time, adults commonly report that most of the time is spent by the children developing the rules for the game, with far less time being used to play the game itself. They are very interested in making sure things are fair, and they are at the perfect age to learn about character development and how we should treat one another.

Imagination

Children at this age use imagination not just as a fantasy world, but as a vehicle in which to place facts. Storytelling used to teach information is particularly useful at this time.

Interest and Understanding in Human History and Culture

Now capable of thinking of more than themselves, elementary-aged children are keen to learn about the origins of humans and the various ways we live around the world and have lived throughout history.

Interest and Understanding of the Evolution of the Universe

Much like their interest in humans, children at this age are curious about the universe and everything that resides in it. They are fascinated by creation stories, both those told from a modern scientific perspective and those that reflect historical cultures around the world. They are also at the perfect age to learn about the evolution of life on earth.  In Montessori schools, children in Elementary programs (between the ages of 6 – 12) learn about the creation of the universe through stories that integrate the studies of astronomy, chemistry, biology, geography, and history. These lessons help children become aware of their own roles and responsibilities as humans and as members of society, and help them explore their “cosmic task”—their unique, meaningful purpose in the world.

Text Source: Montessori Academy and American Montessori Society