Sensitive Period

Children in their journey to adulthood have to acquire many skills such as the ability to speak and use language, the ability to walk to understand their environment and judge what appropriate behaviour is. All of the above characteristics and more are believed by Dr Montessori to be the result of passing through ‘Sensitive Periods' (Montessori, 1966). A sensitive period describes time in a child's life in which they are drawn to particular elements or objects in their environment. They are necessary to acquire new particular traits and characteristics, which they will need to live successfully as adults. These sensitive periods are biological in nature and the young child learns through his body and absorbent mind (Montessori, 2007). When the child is first born he is beyond the influence of the adult around him. The child is however already learning. His mind unconsciously taking in the world around him, he learns what he needs to become evolved with the society around him and gaining increasing physical independence.

The absorbent mind is most evident in the first phases of growth. Dr Montessori identified three periods of growth. Fist cover from birth until the child is six years old. This period is divided in two sub-phases. Starting