SENSITIVE CHILDREN

SENSITIVE PERIODS WITHIN YOUNG CHILDREN.
Very often I use to observe the three year old child sitting near to me in my school van. He use to just touch my shirt edge with his thumb and other fingers and goes on exploring the texture of the shirt. I just allow that.
WHY?
Unless if I am really distracted there is no harm in allowing children from birth to 6 years old to observe, touch and feel, listen, watch any such things in our reality.
FOR WHAT PURPOSE?
There is a very special process happening inside these children which we cannot understand. These processes are the assisting the child’s powerful tool of personality construction which is known as ‘’THE ABSORBENT MIND’’.
THESE PERIODS ARE THE SENSITIVE PERIODS OF CHILD. Every human child is undergoing this great process. If any child is stopped from experiencing this sensitivity he will be loosing great experiences related to the respective sensitivity. So he cannot adapt later to his environment with that experience.
Ex: Children, who were not allowed or exposed to touch and feel the animals, will never have the natural sense of handling animals. Before 6 years if the child is loosing this opportunity to express the sensitivity he will never have the feeling for the animal touch naturally.
WHAT IS SENSITIVITY?
Dr.Montessori says, ‘’ Sensitivity is the very unique specific time within which human characters are developed from birth to 6 years.’’
· Just by understanding and accepting this fact within our infants and children we can easily observe and understand their actions and expressions by which more assistance can be rendered.
Ex: When I understood the sensitivity of my brother’s 5 months old infant for sounds, during his visit to India I gave the exposure of listening to varieties of sounds from vehicles, instruments, songs and my sister- in – law read various styles of Tamil verses from various beautiful books slowly, sweetly when he just concentrated. This is the sensitivity for sound and language. As the result the baby is very fond of communicating with all of us in phone just by hearing our voice in the family. His sensitivity has made him to suit with his real life.

· Sensitive periods last as along the absorbent mind exists. They are the master and the true servants.
· Sensitive periods are universal.
· After 6 years we cannot regenerate the sensitive periods.
· Various sensitive periods combine and functions together.
Ex: A child may goes on making humming and scratching the dress designs expresses the sensitivity for music and texture. Just allow them to continue.

· We cannot realize and study what is the working chemistry behind these periods. It is nature’s personal gifts to human child.
· Any sensitive period begins with the great speed of absorption and continues and slows down like a car just picking up the speed to climb up the hill and after exploring through journey it will get down slowly and steadily.
· VERY IMPORTANT POINT FOR PARENTS:
Children will do certain actions which are unacceptable. One of my infant in my environment even though knowing that he cannot touch the running ants he touched. But he knew that it is not acceptable. But the enormous powers of sensitivity to touch and feel have just made his muscles and nerves to do that action. During sensitivity periods there are actions which are not under the mind control of the infant child.

The above said example is happening even till 9 years old in our life with our children. Some children will just throw the object which they have upon others or out side even though we say ‘’NO’’. We have to realize that still the muscular system and nervous system are untrained to coordinate with the sensitivity. Allow the action to over and just talk little firmly to them and stop.

· During these sensitive periods, all children learn any thing every things from the existing environment automatically. We are just behind them.
· Dr.Montessori has classified the sensitive periods as 4 major groups for helping the adults to understand the child to serve him.

1. SENSITIVE PERIOD FOR LANGUAGE
· Human language starts getting constructed from the gestation after the formation of the sensitive part of ear with 63 strings. Pregnant women can talk slowly and softly to the fetus and please don’t teach. From the birth have personal conversation with the infant. Try your best to talk in any one language. Talk softly, sweetly with correct words. Try to avoid babyish talk to them. There are plenty of other ways to express your love rather than this unwanted talk.
· After birth infants observes our lips while talking to pick up the language.
Ex: Uma and her husband were talking to the new born infant from the day 1 and prepared him for the beautiful journey from London to India. The child has understood the reality of change and came without any cry from London to Madras for 10 hours.
· Infants are just sensitive only to human voice. The sensitive periods just picks up many sounds but constructs the human voice alone. Other wise babies living near railway stations must sound just like trains.
· Human child can converse in many languages. But those languages must be used regularly in the reality of the baby. Dr.Montessori says that a child is capable of talking 30 languages.
· When they utter the sounds we need to respect them and respond them.
· Please don’t correct and teach the word immediately.
· When the babbling talk begins please listen to them and don’t respond in the same babbling talk.
Ex: Karthik is 7 years old. He is still talking is babbling voice. We came to know that he was born in his family after vary long time. So the family members have showered their love and affection just through babbling talk and voice and always lifting him. Can you realize the sensitive period and its power?
· By 6 months the child is aware that all objects have names and it wants to express the self. He tries his best and there exhibits the flow of sounds.
· Give the names first, then actions and slowly the main grammar techniques for spoken language. But all these must be the real expression not the teaching.
· When your child understands that you can provide all the names which he needs him, starts believing you and have confidence with you and talks well.
· Music [vocal] must be exposed just not only by recorders. We must sing, take the children to concerts and slowly mingle the music in real life.
· Ex: Madhu [25 years old] is excellent in chanting all shlokas in Sanskrith. But she has not attended any classes. She has attained this skill because her mother used to chant many shlokas during her pregnancy and after birth her and in - laws do many chanting sessions before her at home.
· We need to talk more listen to the children more and by 2.5 years they can enriched with 1000 words.
· Any horrible talks, abusing talks, shocking harsh voice will damage the child’s ears, voice box and create fear to express.
· THIS SENSITIVITY MAKES THE HUMAN CHILD TO ATTAIN THE FREEDOM OF SELF EXPRESSION.

2. SENSITIVITY PERIODS FOR COORDINATION OF MOVEMENTS:
· Allow the infants to move to their best, crawl, stand, swim, walk, sit, run, roll, rotate, and somersault and all harmless movements.
· But we must wait for this sensitivity to begin its work. We cannot make a child to stand or walk before his sensitivity period for walking.
· Please don’t put them in the rolling chairs.
· Allow them to move and explore the nature and living environment.
· During movements please prepare the environments safely and appropriate for your child’s actions. Put more breakable objects and they increase their coordination of movements and concentration.
· While walking out allow the child to explore the surroundings. Give the time for their research work and walk.
Ex: For the very first time these infants are moving out and their sensitivity is hungry to eat more and more. By seeing the big flower he may delay his steps and observe that flower. Please allow that.
Dr.Montessori has helped a little girl in London just to see the night sky because her parents have never allowed seeing a night sky. She will be is the bed by 7 P.M.

When Meera came from Mumbai to Coimbatore she has exposed her 2 years old son to observe and explore SreeKrishna Sweets, Sreedevi Textiles, Kamala metal stores and walked all along the cross cut roads of Gandhipuram. The child was very calmly and quietly observing the city and later talked about it at nights.
· Last but least we must move and do all actions of life with perfection and grace. Because be aware the infant eating the candy in the hall is observing your actions!!!
Ex: When Kumari brought her new born infant to India from Australia, she just requested her mother and father to have graceful movements in home during her presence. Even the servant maid was following that and the child enjoyed every gestures of the adult.
THIS SENSITIVITY MAKES THE HUMAN CHILD TO ATTAIN THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND SELF CONTROL OF ACTIONS.


3. SENSITIVITY PERIOD FOR ORDER:
Dr.Montessori says that ‘’ORDER ‘’ is every aspect of the house and society which has to assist the infant to observe acceptable orderliness in language, movements, expressions, promises and social behavior so that the child can enjoy very harmonious adaptation.

· Before 6 years the child’s mind is very keen in observing this order in every thing. They think that the sense of order is similar to that, ‘’a fish must be only inside the water’’.
Ex: Infants cannot even accept immediately the change in holding them by the own mother.

· By talking to the infant we can prepare the child for easy adaptation and that brings the real sense of order.
Ex: I have been warned by many children less than 6 years to walk carefully without stamping the working mats in the class room.
· When they start talking comes the friction between us. For all the disorder actions our child will denote that and condemn. Please accept them and correct our own orders.
Ex: Ramesh once made his son to wear the shirt in a wrong order and the child started crying and said that the mother puts in different way. Immediately he called his wife and asked her to show how to wear and asked excuse from his child.
· Keep up your words and if you cannot, there is no harm in explaining to the child about the inconvenience.
THIS SENSITIVITY MAKES THE CHILD TO ATTAIN THE FREEDOM OF INNER DISCIPLIN AND SELF CONFIDENCE.
4. SENSITIVITY FOR REFINEMENT OF SENSES
Dr.Montessori’s sensorial materials actually feed for the refinement of all senses. We need to understand and accept that the new child is craving to explore and experience every single aspect of the real life. For the very time in the life the child is going to see the environment and he needs to get adapted to that. It is our responsibility to give them the opportunity to the child to have sense explorations and experiences. This makes the child to have inner love for all creations and objects.
Allow any activity with any object which never harms the child.
Ex: One month infant can see and feel the tender flowers.
Senses will be refined only by experiences and this will happen only when we give them all chances to touch, feel, smell, taste, smell and hear.
Examples:
· Vaani gave the experience of handling tiny vessels to her 5 months old boy and he made the own practice of sipping water from it.
· Ram used to give the experience to his 3 years old girl to touch pet animals.
· Sujatha makes his twins to smell all kitchen ingredients which are not very spicy.
· Divya allows her 2 year old girl to touch and fruit and vegetable and then she cuts them before her and cooks. Later she lakes her to experience all the tastes by making her to remember the market experiences.

5. SENSITIVE PERIOD FOR SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
From the day 1 after the birth the infant is exposed to the fresh new world which is the greatest task for him to adapt himself. We need to assist the infant through our behavior for this.
Dr.Montessori says that the first 6 years of human life is indirect observation which constructs the learning and personality. So the infants learn from our social gestures.
· Various social norms.
· Our emotional mistakes especially in addressing others, handling other’s emotions.
· Mingling of the child in our daily practical life.
· Giving opportunity for the child to experiment and experience the social life.
· Exposure to varieties of cultures and arts.
All these assisting exercises will help your child to have better social behavior.

EXAMPLE: 1. Talk to the people who come to sell flowers, goods, vegetables and other things with respective suffix. The child will understand that they all are here to help us and we need to respect them. In future the child will also mingle with them in friendly and respectful manner.

2. Allow the child to take part in a dinner or lunch with your guests. Allow him to do his role of treating them.

FOR GOOD SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR ALLOW THE CHILD TO WATCH TOUCH, FEEL, EXPRESS, OBSERVE AND GIVE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE.

6. SENSITIVE PERIOD FOR TINY THINGS
From the age of 2 to 6 many children expresses this sensitivity. They are very keen and interested in watching and observing unique tiny objects from the surroundings.
Example: One of my children saw a rose and appreciated its beauty and we were discussing about the rose flower. Suddenly he saw a tiny ant inside the petals and wondered how the flower has given shelter for that ant.

Swetha is a 3 year old child. She always likes her mother to wear a red color saree. We came to know that she likes that saree because she has made deep observation with the tiny flowers hidden among broad checks.

We can see many children who are very particular for specific sounds of animals and birds.

Even if your child is holding a bit of paper please allow to hold it. Because for him this will be the very first experience to see such object and he may explore varieties of things and his imagination may grow.

BUT WE ARE SPOILING THE CHILD’S ACTIONS AND EXPRESSIONS JUST BECAUSE OF OUR SELF EGO.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTROL OR SUPRESS ANY OF THE ACTION MADE BY YOUR CHILD. OBSERVE AND ASSIST THEM FOR ADAPTATION ESPECIALLY DURING THE SENSITIVE PERIODS.

Thank you!