Sensitive Periods: Order

“It is through this lovely flame that burns without consuming that the work of creating the mental world of man takes place.” (Dr. Montessori, referring to sensitive periods in The Secret of Childhood). Sensitive periods of early childhood influence so much of Montessori practice. Materials were designed based on these sensitive periods. Montessori environments are designed to support these sensitive periods. A sensitive period can be thought of as an explosion of growth in a particular area of development. The sensitive periods are exclusive to the first plane of development, which occurs from birth to around age 6. Each sensitive period leads a child to develop specific skills and characteristics. Sensitive periods are temporary, only lasting for a short span of time in early childhood. There are four sensitive periods of early childhood: order, language, sensory perception and movement. (Note: several articles lay out more than four sensitive periods. Sensitive periods are universal to humans. Some list reading and writing as separate sensitive periods in addition to language, but not all humans will read and write and historically, not all humans have read and written. All humans, will however, experience a sensitive period for language. Sensitive periods reach beyond culture and time. Some list socialization as a sensitive period, but social development depends upon the child’s unique environment. See chapter 22 of The Absorbent Mind for more information on social development.)

The sensitive period for order occurs from birth to age 4-5. This idea of order is more than just a place for everything and everything in it’s place. This order is the mental organization that support the development of the child’s intelligence. This sensitive period for order gives the child a way of organizing all that they are absorbing and helps them create classifications for everything they are learning. 

A child in their sensitive period for order may seem like a rigid tyrant with a mantra of ‘my way or the highway.’ Often, we mistake this need for order with misbehavior or inflexibility. If your child has a specific chair they use for dinner each night and suddenly, that chair is unavailable, the child may protest with a tantrum about their chair. If an adult did this, it would surely be a sign of inflexibility. But for a child, something truly feels out of order. They are experiencing the same feeling you might have if, for example, you walked outside in the morning and your car wasn’t in your driveway. Something isn’t right! This may sound extreme, but this is kind of how a child feels when something from their routine is suddenly out of order. Understanding this can help us respond with compassion and patience.

One way to support your child’s sensitive period for order is by giving them a heads up to any changes in routine. This could be something as simple as: “Your water bottle is broken. I bought you a new one. It’s blue.” As a parent and a teacher, I often find myself assuming my child doesn’t need to know about minor changes and then getting frustrated when they freak out that they can’t have their purple water bottle. 

A well prepared environment also supports your child’s sensitive period for order. A simple place to start is by simplifying and organizing toys. Place activities and toys in their own basket. Encourage children to put one activity away before beginning a new one. This helps children maintain their sense of order and prevents them (and you!) from becoming overwhelmed.

Recognizing your child’s sensitive period for order can ease frustrations and limit conflicts. When we understand the development happening within our child, we can support them with understanding and empathy.

Montessori Glossary: Language

Language is one of my favorite aspects of Montessori and what my graduate research is focused on. Montessori referred to language as an agreement among a group of human beings. Language development in young children is so fascinating. Young children in their sensitive period for language have a limitless capacity for acquiring language and new vocabulary. Montessori capitalizes on the sensitive period for language by offering a language rich environment. Dr. Montessori herself only created three language materials: the sandpaper letters, the movable alphabet and the metal insets. She wrote of I Spy games and reading games, as well. This makes language open to whatever culture you are apart of. This can be beautiful and also confusing as you choose a path for reading and writing for your child. It seems like there are so many “Montessori” options out there. Download this glossary of some of the most common Montessori language terms. I hope it helps clarify things you are grow in your understanding of Montessori.

Montessori: Three Levels of Obedience

Let’s talk about obedience. Often, a child’s obedience is used as the judge of the child’s character and as a measure of the parents’ parenting. Children labeled as “strong willed” are often seen as disobedient. Parents jest about winning when it comes to battling their children’s wills. Dr. Montessori had a lot to say about obedience and the will of young children. Before obedience can occur, children must have the opportunity to develop their will. Dr. Montessori said, “Nature imposes on the child the task of growing up, and his will leads him to make progress and to develop his powers.” A strong will isn’t something that must be broken because it leads to unwanted behavior, but something that must be supported because it leads to growth and flourishing. The development of the will and a child’s obedience are intricately linked. In the Absorbent Mind, Dr. Montessori wrote about three levels of obedience. Here is an overview:

• First level of obedience: During this stage, typically when children are under three years old, a child can only obey an instruction if that instruction lines up with their developmental needs. This is the age of unconscious construction and obeying an instruction that does not serve their development is nearly impossible for a young child. This can cause frustration for adults and make children seem stubborn. When we meet children where they are in this stage, we can guide them without frustration.

• Second level of obedience: During this stage, the child has the ability to obey always. This means that intense unconscious period has passed and the child now has the capacity to do what is asked of them, even it isn’t in the best interest of their development. Montessori wrote that in traditional education, this is the highest level of obedience that traditional educators expect of children— to do what is asked with no questions or good reasoning.

• The third level of obedience: This third stage of obedience is what some see as a phenomenon in Montessori classrooms. During this stage, children joyfully obey the adults around them. This third level of obedience is what confounded adults visiting the early children’s houses and what drove people around the world to write about Montessori education. This level of obedience should give teachers and parents a deep feeling of responsibility. This stage can only be reached when an environment is created that supports the development of the child’s will. This means we must be careful and conscious of the instructions we offer. We must follow through and create boundaries that children are confident to work within. We must create a trusting environment that supports children getting to this level of joyful obedience.