First plane of children's development

Montessori observed that children less than six years old are clearly self centric and ego centric in action and attitude. Although, these qualities could have been interpreted as negative, but Montessori realized that this natural drive of young children can possible provide the focus and energy for their self development.

She envisioned of a program whereby a child could develop, with proper aide by the adult, into a strong individual capable of independent action, language, self discipline, and basic academic skills of writing, reading and mathematics.

Additionally, she noted that children less than six years old could go through specific and well defined periods of interest in certain areas of development. For example, there is a period of intense absorption with order, another for language, and another for learning to walk. During each of these time frames, varying in duration from months to years, the child is so focused on the particular development that he will ignore other phenomena previously of great interest to him. His energy level and dedication to his single minded task are extra ordinary but terminate just as abruptly as they began. Montessori called these intervals Sensitive Periods and the children in this plane of development as "Sensorial Explorers".

We, at buildingBlocks, plan to use these "sensory explorer" qualities of kids to really develop them into individuals capable of independent action, language and self discipline.