Montessori Sensitive Periods: A Complete Guide

Written by: Mansio Montessori

In the Montessori Theory, most of the sensitive periods a child will have occur before they are at the age of 6. A child moves through several sensitive periods during this time. As you begin to navigate providing your child with access to education, such as a Montessori preschool program, it is critical to understand these periods including when they are and what they mean.

Sensitive periods are windows of time in which a child’s interests are focused specifically on developing a specific area of knowledge or skill set. The length of the sensitive period is dependent on how long it takes the child to master that particular area.

There are five main sensitive periods identified in the Montessori Theory:



• Order: Begins at birth and peaks in the second year of development but continues through age 5.
• Language: Lasts from birth through age five.
• Sensory Skills: Birth through age five.
• Movement: Birth through age 2.5 for the first phase and then 2.5 to age 4.5 for refinement and coordination.
• Social Skills: Begins around age 2.5 and continues through age 5.

As you consider activities for your 3 year old or think about the right toddler program for your 2 year old, you’ll certainly want to consider how well these programs can support your child within these sensitive periods.

Let’s break down these sensitive periods a bit more, providing some insight into the type of early childhood education at each period.

Order

During this period, your child learns reasoning skills, how to organize their information and better understand the environment around them. They need consistency and repetition to learn here. You may recognize your child’s interest in putting things away or putting objects in order.

To support this period, set some ground rules early on. It’s also a good idea to create an organized environment so that everything has a place.

Language

There are three phases here. The spoken language phase typically continues through age 3. They mimic sounds and movements. Words are said, and then sentences. In the second phase, for writing, the focus is on learning the alphabet and sight words. Reading is the third phase, often beginning around age 4.5. The child learns reading skills and improves language as a result.

Focus on environments that stimulate language. Use clear language with your child. Read to them. Allow them to speak.

Sensory skills

In this phase, the child learns through touch, taste, and smell. To encourage this phase, provide them with opportunities to explore and observe the world around them. Describe materials based on their texture. Use games like “I Spy” to open their world to visual stimulation.

Movement

From crawling to learning to pull up and then walk, the first phase of the movement sensitive period is all about developing gross motor cycles. Give them activities to strengthen their hands and improve hand-eye coordination.

In the second phase, a refinement and coordination period, the child should hold objects in both hands and develop more coordinated movements.

Social skills

Social skills begin to become obvious at age 2.5 and progress through the next few years. This is when developing friendships and interacting through cooperative play is so important. To support this, consider activities but also consider the value of a kindergarten program or, even better, preschool education for your child.