Development
Planes of Development-Ages 2.9 to 12
The First Plane of Development-Birth to Age 6
The Absorbent Mind
During the first plane (birth to age 6), the child’s mind is like a sponge. They are absorbing their experiences, thoughts, and beginning to retain these messages. This is the epic journey to move from the unconscious to conscious thought.
Age 0-6
- Sensitive periods
- Sensory impression
- Language
- Sense of order (organization)
- Movement
- Detail orientated
- Memorization
- Refinement of senses
Characteristics
- Great physical growth
- Unconscious intellectual growth
- Order is a goal
- Loves to repeat
- Absorbs everything
- Ego-centered
The Second Plane of Development-Age 6 to 12
While continuing the Montessori journey, the elementary experience goes past the preschool years. These years are the time in a child’s life of the greatest intellectual energy, curiosity, and imagination. The children develop a more expansive social network as they begin to develop a more global sense of who am I. Montessori elementary students are in a new sensitive period of cultural understanding at this plane of development. They have an expansive variety of cultural studies to explore. Elementary students will compare and contrast their culture and that of classmates. This variety of academics will be studied through the curriculum of history, geography, language, arts, the sciences, and mathematics. Elementary students at this developmental plane begin to lose their need for physical order however they develop a strong moral sense of order. They have a strong sense of justice and follow rules of fairness as their role models present these values.
