The sensitive period of order is a very important and mysterious period, and children are extremely sensitive to order. During this period, children have a strong demand for order in things, gradually acquiring and developing a sense of order as an object of space or daily habits. So what are the sensitive periods for children?
Montessori believed that children have a dual sense of order, an inner sense of order, and an outer sense of order. The inner sense of order enables children to recognize the different parts of the body and their relative positions; The external sense of order is the perception and understanding of the laws and relationships in a child's external world. The forms of a sense of order include a sense of security, a sense of belonging, a sense of time and space, a sense of pattern, and a sense of dominance.
At the age of 1-3 years old, children gradually shift from a sense of order to an internal and external order, using strong external things to display the desire for items, the position of pursuit, actions, the order of numerical display, and ownership of goods are almost demanding requirements. If it is a challenge, they will feel uneasy and anxious, and even show strong extreme reactions. Due to the flexibility and even irrationality of children during this period, it can also be referred to as the 'stubborn sensitive period'.
After the rigid sensitive period, a critical period of perfect order will occur between the ages of 3 and 4, known as the perfect sensitive period. Then, children's sensitivity to order will rise to the requirement of rules: no matter where I follow the rules, you must follow the rules, and everyone must follow the rules. Gradually transitioning from obedience to rule and internalizing some lifestyle habits.
At the age of 5, children's sense of order becomes increasingly clear and profound, and they will pay special attention to the sense of temporal and spatial order and aesthetic value order, that is, the beauty of order. When they are drawn, attention will be paid to whether the proportion of the structure is reasonable, for example, near small blocks; When they focus their attention on aesthetic spatial structures and other aspects. Therefore, this stage can also be referred to as the sensitive period of aesthetics.
