
2 minute read
Imaginative Explorers
Tiffany Fennig, lower elementary 3 teacher
The second plane of development encompasses children ages 6-12 years old. In Lower Elementary, these children are transitioning from infancy to the beginning of childhood. This stage is referred to by Dr. Montessori as “the Age of Serenity and Rudeness” (Grazzini, 1988). Children in this plane display a sense of calm and tranquility due to a slower rate of development and growth. They are still growing and learning, but not at such a rapid rate as in infancy. The Sensitive Periods for the second plane of development are abstraction, morality and justice, culture, peer interaction, and imagination. Children are moving from the Absorbent Mind to the Reasoning Mind. They are beginning to think about the things they are learning and experiencing at a deeper level. Children develop an intense thirst for knowledge while experiential learning is still emphasized. These children are moving from Sensorial Explorers to Imaginative Explorers. They are interested in more than what their senses can provide for them.
Children are also more emotionally delicate and are developing self-esteem and confidence during this stage. The child is beginning to see relationships and connections with the world around him. He is shifting from the egocentric to altruistic attitude; beginning to focus on others and cultures outside of his own. It is important for this child to know what is right and acceptable by society. The child’s thinking is bridging from the concrete to abstract, with the ability to reason. He needs acceptance by his peer group, while he is moving outside the family based on the foundation of love and security that was established in the first plane of development. Children during this period are becoming aware of Social Justices and Injustices; they begin to ask moral questions of right versus wrong, and want to know more about moral and ethical reasons for everything. Montessori said, “Morals have at the same time a practical side, which governs social relations, and a spiritual side, which presides over the awakening of conscience in the individual” (Montessori, 1976). The child is seeking to collaborate with peers, while moral justice continues to be at their forethought. This is one reason why we see children at this age begin to “tattle.” They are seeking justice and are searching for a moral reasoning of the “why” behind the action. Children moving into the second plane of development also begin to lose their teeth. This physical measure demonstrates a great satisfaction to the child along with signifying to the adults the movement to the next plane of development.
Through the Great Lessons, directresses inspire the children to think about what came before them, and challenge them to think about what is to come, while discovering who they are in the present moment. Cosmic Education is the soul of the Lower Elementary curriculum. There is a copious amount of work that is ensured outside of the ‘official lessons’ helping each child to discover their cosmic tasks, along with how they fit into the classroom community, school community, and the world around them. It is during this period that the children began to ask and investigate these questions and ‘this’ big work that surrounds them.
To support the second plane of development at home, support your child by answering their questions. Continue to inspire their curiosity. It is essential to remember that each time a child moves from one plane of development to the next, it is a rebirth. They are experiencing the world around them as a ‘whole’ different child. Children moving through this plane also lose a sense of organization. This does not mean to let them get by without organizing, but to be mindful; they may walk into a room and not be able to find something that is right there. They have a tendency to overlook things. Offer grace and guidance to the child in this plane and help them to learn to reorganize and search for lost items.
