The Practical Application of Montessori's Theory.

Montessori's theory on sensitive periods of learning provides a basis for education that she believed would help anyone to learn. She even succeeded in teaching children deemed to be unteachable. The two most impactful insights that I can gather from Montessori's theory are that children may never properly develop a skill outside of its sensitive period, and that the drive for these children to learn in these periods is much stronger than just getting simple enjoyment out of learning. While Montessori was mainly concerned with education away from home, parents can benefit from this knowledge. Considering the portion of the theory addressing the loss of skills by missing a sensitive period, I would tell parents that they should not try and remove their child from an activity that they are engrossed with as long as they are safe. You should let your children stay up late to read a book if they cannot put the book down. Otherwise, you risk harming their mastery of reading. Addressing the difference in importance between child and parent, parents should not pass judgement onto what a child wants to learn. You should let your child walk places on their own because, to them, it is imperative that they do so.