Sensitive_Periods

Consequences of starvation of sensitive period “Sensitive periods are blocks of time in a child’s life when he is absorbed with one characteristic of the environment exclusive of others. This particular sensitivity towards certain stimuli lasts until a necessary need is fulfilled. The sensitive periods are transitory periods in the child's life during which she is prompted by an inner urge to focus her attention on certain elements in her environment. The activities and impressions resulting from this activity help the child to form a faculty with which to fulfill a tendency. After a spell of work done at the imperious bidding of this inner urge, the child, or individual, feels better, stronger and calmer--simply because he has been creating herself. A sensitive period has a beginning, a high point, and a fading out phase. It has a period of building and a period of perfecting....  Maria Montessori identified 6 sensitive periods 1. Sensitivity to the order: At this time the child has a passionate interest in the order of things in time and space. Everything has to be in its proper place and the actions of the day have to be carried out in an accustomed routine. A child is upset by not getting his usual spoon, or cupboard door is left open, or the corner of a rug turned over; or a story being retold with different words or turns of events. Small children can be driven frantic by such infringements [changes in] established order, and they often protest with temper tantrums. He needs the stability and the security that order gives. The order in the child’s environment is his foundation he absolutely needs it for orientation. First, for physical orientation to find his way around, and later in mental orientation and for classification, this sensitive period establishes within him the rhythm he needs in order to fulfill his tendency for order. When the sensitivity to order is lacking, the child may not be able to orientate himself and construct a mental picture of the world and he will be confused with the order of routines and hence may feel very insecure and lack in confidence. 2. Sensitivity for refinement senses: Sensitive period for refinement of the senses is characterized with the child’s fascination with sensorial experiences (taste, smell, sounds, weight, and touch) results in the child learning to observe and make increasingly refined sensorial discriminations. Nothing is in the mind that was not first in the senses. The child has a natural interest in sensorial impressions. She is very sensitive to her surroundings and can make distinctions with a clear perception of the senses. Now is the time when their senses are most heightened and open to exploration. The more a child’s senses are exposed to at this age, the greater her ability will be to distinguish her senses for the rest of her life. If the child is deprived of right environment during this period, then it may result in difficulty in distinguishing things and in judging and further more this results in lack of concentration and insecure feeling in the child. 3. Sensitivity to small objects: This can be characterized by the child’s fixation with small objects and tiny details. This is an indicator that order and detail are coming together in the child’s mind. Children are attracted to the level of focusing on details. It is also interesting to know that the smaller details seem to fascinate the child. Thus the general feeling that only strong stimuli attract the child is not true. There has been enough proof that children are capable of finer perceptions. The lack of environment for this sensitivity may discourage the curiosity of the child in discovering new things. It will make him less observant and affects learning process. The child might become very passive. Small details usually have a great impact towards the overall result. He may start ignoring these small details and will have bigger repercussions. 4. Sensitive period of movement occurs from the time of birth and walking occurs from the age of one. During this period child is constantly moving for long periods of time. He learns how to balance, negotiate space while working in the favorable environment. The favorable environment in all creates opportunities to refine. E.g. A child may enjoy running for no apparent reason for long periods of time. Once the child has mastered walking, his hands have become free to work. He now focuses on work to refine his hands. Montessori observed that mental development occurs through movement but only if, "the action which occurs is connected with the mental activity going on." The child wants to use a scissors, to pick up tiny objects, and to refine his eye/hand coordination so that his hand truly becomes an instrument of his mind. If the child is not exposed to the proper environment, then the child’s gross motor and fine motor development will be affected. It will be difficult for such children to develop balance and agility. 5. Sensitivity to Language: The sensitive period for language is from 7 months in uterus up to 5.5 to 6 years of age. There are several aspects of language from spoken language, to written language and reading. This is an integral part of a child’s life to be able to use words or language in order to communicate. It is the progression from babbling to single words to phrases to two or three word sentences, with a continuously expanding vocabulary and comprehension. A second language is also learnt very easily at this time. The environment if not prepared efficiently for sensitivity result in lack of clarity in the child’s language and also he becomes less sensitive to the sounds of the language. Children will also become less confident and may develop low self-esteem concept due to his inability to express himself. 6. Sensitivity to the social aspects of life: Now that the child has become relatively stable in their physical and emotional environment they begin to attend to the social environment. They become aware that they are part of a community (for instance their nursery or playgroup) and he or she attempts to learn manners and serve others as well as him. Such social interest is shown initially as observation, but later develops into a need for more active contact with peers. If a child is deprived of the right environment, then the child will become less friendly and may feel lonely and hence crave for a lot of attention from parents. His socializing skills would be curbed.