Sensitive Periods

As the year progresses, the children are becoming more engaged in challenging work.  In the Bumblebee Classroom, you will hear the children repeatedly count and sound out letters.  Every day, the older children practice with their number work as well as reading lessons.  This encourages the younger ones to work hard on their own activities because they are eager to one day be able to do what the older children do.  Their sensitivity towards numbers and letters are definitely beginning to show and it is indeed a thrilling experience.

Maria Montessori discovered that children go through creative sensitivities.  She referred to them as The Sensitive Periods.  These periods are transitory blocks of time in which the children passionately absorb one aspect from their environment to the exclusion of others.  They are also called as the windows of opportunity.  She wrote, 'the Sensitive Periods appear in the individual as intense interest for repeating certain actions at length, for no obvious reason, until - because of this repetition - a fresh function suddenly appears with explosive force.' The special interior vitality and joy the child exhibits during these periods result from his intense desire to make contact with his world. It is a love of his environment that compels him to this contact. This love is not an emotional reaction, but an intellectual and spiritual desire. (Lillard, P.P., Montessori, A Modern Approach)

       You may probably experience and observe at home what we are seeing with your children in school.  When you do, simply enjoy the moment and maybe even engage your child by playing some sound games or counting games?  I Spy is a great sound game to play with your child in the car, at home, and everywhere.  Counting apples, eggs and so forth at the grocery store is also another fun game you could play with your child using numbers.  Try to avoid having your child sit down with a piece of paper and pencil or even do workbooks unless your child is the one asking to do it.  Bottom line, you want them to be excited with their work and have a fun memorable experience.  

-Miss Vicki, Bumblebee Teacher