The Sensitive Periods

The sensitive period for the refinement of the senses occurs between the ages of two and four. Our senses are how we experience the world. Refining them allows us to notice more minute details and more accurately classify the world around us. The neural networks in the brain are created based on these details and connections. Providing a child in this sensitive period with a sensorially rich environment complete with accurate sensorial vocabulary, will help to create a greater variety of these neural networks.

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The sensitive period for movement usually occurs between the ages of two and four and a half. Refining movement is necessary for proper physical and psychological development. Young children refine their movements through imitation of adults and repetition. Children at this age will often watch how the adults around them move and try to imitate it again and again. Providing the child with the ability to practice a variety of fine and gross motor movements during this period will allow them to develop their independence and self expression.

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When a child’s sensitive periods are not allowed to drive the child, this will most often result in a tantrum. The child’s inner drive is denied and they quickly become uncomfortable and upset. Because the child is not conscious of these sensitive periods, they are unable to express why they are having the tantrum. This can be frustrating for both the child and the adult. However, when the adults in the child’s life are aware of the sensitive periods, they are better able to respond to these moments of disequilibrium. Obstacles to the sensitive periods are often the result of denied freedom, lack of positive experiences, or lack of diverse experiences. If the needs of a sensitive period are not met, the child can still acquire the skills later in life, but they will require effort and will never be fully absorbed in the same way that they are during the sensitive period.