Critical Periods vs Sensitive Periods

The Sensitive Periods that Dr Montessori spoke about are quite different from the Critical Periods that brain development researchers focus on. The latter ones are narrow windows of opportunity for the development of a specific part of the body; they are brief timeframes susceptible to the absence of stimulation or to environmental influences. For instance if binocular vision in babies is not established between the third and the eighth month of life, its development will be permanently affected. The Sensitive Periods that Dr Montessori identified are longer windows of opportunities during which certain types of learning can be facilitated. If this timeframe is missed, the learning can still occur, though it may not produce the same outcome, nor would it happen with the same ease and precision. Let's take the learning of a second language as an example: we are all well aware of the fact that a baby learning multiple languages can reproduce precise pronunciation with grammatical precision, unlike an adult attempting the same endeavour. It would also take a lot longer to an adult to memorize the vocabulary and the grammatical rules of a new language.

By becoming familiar with these Sensitive Periods we can take advantage of the opportunities they provide to promote smooth and seamless learning, while broadening the scope of their experiences and expanding their energies.