Sensitivity To Order

In the Montessori Pedagogy, there is a term called Sensitive Periods which sensitivity to order is one of it. The sensitivy to order is significant in a child from about 1.5 years, that a child shows a positive way in seeing familiar things, insistence on putting things back in their place.

I notice this sensitivity in WH when he was as young as 16months old. Can’t remembered much about JS though, because I wasn’t caring for her full time at that age.

When hubby and me were chatting and casually mentioning about something, WH is able to relate it to the real environment. When we are watching TV or reading newspaper, and he sees things that we have, he could quickly relate to it and got very excited and try to look for the things we have as seen on TV or newspaper. Same thing goes as when we reading him, his story books where he sees familiar toys that we have. He would insist to bring the toy out before I can continue with the story.

We have toys and bookshelfs in different rooms and corners in the house, amazingly, each time he could remember the exact location of a book or toys he wants to show us which is related to what he has seen or heard. He knows which shelf has got the book, which book has got the picture he wants to show us and even the page. He would excitely said ” There, there, there!”

Take for example brushing teeth. I told him Nigel the crocodile opens the mouth wide to brush and he should do the same…. (from a story book) and he would quickly go find and grab the book to show me.

As for drinking milk, JS would put the milk bottle cap everywhere she goes and she would forget about it later. Each time we would have a hard time trying to locate the cap after she finished milk. But WH is different. After giving him his milk bottle and took off the cap, he would placed the cap at the same location each time without failed. I never have problem finding the cap, if I do forget, he would bring me there to show me where he has put it or bring it to me.

I try to get the maid not to shuffle the toys and books too much, we try to put it back into the same place each time the kids have messed with it, because WH can get frustrated if he can’t find the things he’s looking for.

The child’s need of order is based on a precise and determined environment. In an environment whre order exists, a child can categorise his perception and make sense of his world. In such an enviroment he forms an inner conceptual framework with which to understand and deal with his world.

Dr Montessori said

“inner sense which is a sense not of distinction between things, so that it perceives an environment as a whole with interdependent parts. Only in such an environment, known as a whole, is it possible for the child to orient himself and to act with purpose. without it he would have no basis on which to build his perception of relationship”