Sensitive Periods: Language

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montessori sensitive periods

Sensitive periods are special points of development in early childhood when children have a natural burst in certain areas of development. These sensitive periods occur in the first plane of development, which is from birth to around age 6. The four sensitive periods include order, language, coordination of movement, and sensory perception. Read more about sensitive periods and the sensitive period for order here.

Today, we are going to talk about the sensitive period for language, which occurs from birth to around age 6. Children in their sensitive period for language have an unlimited capacity for language. In the classroom environment, this is supported by providing a language rich experience, from the way the guide speaks to a child to the vocabulary given in lessons like the geometry cabinet.

Parents can support their child’s sensitive period for language at home. Offering a language rich environment at home is one of the simplest, most inexpensive ways to support your child’s language development. Here are some ways to support your child’s sensitive period for language:

  • Leave the baby talk behind. From birth, use real words with your child. I know how tempting it can be to morph in to a baby voice at the sight of a newborn! But refrain! Use real words in a regular tone when speaking to your child, no matter how young they are.

  • Read! There is so much evidence based research on the benefits of reading with young children. Once they can can talk, enrich your reading time even further by letting them tell the story from the pictures.

  • Get outside of your home! Go on nature walks, visit museums, and try new restaurants together. Describe what you see, feel, taste and smell using rich, descriptive language. Don’t ever assume a word is too big or complex to be used with your child!

  • Do not draw parallels between the way a person speaks and their level of intelligence. Children in their sensitive period for language will pick these cues up from the adults around them quickly. Expose your child to many languages and many different ways of speaking, from poetry and stories from different cultures to different genres of music. Remember, the sensitive period for language is not the sensitive period for English.