Site-Wide Glossary

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Site-Wide Glossary

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S

Sensitive periods

A term used by Montessori to describe a critical time during human development when young children are neurologically ready to learn a specific skill or ability.

During this time, an individual becomes particularly sensitive to stimuli that promote the specific developmental acquisition. 

Montessori observed that during a sensitive period, children are intensely interested in tasks that are related to the particular area of development, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else.

For example, children in the sensitive period for numbers (4- 4 1/2 years) will be drawn to work with the Maths Materials. 

When children choose such activities they become absorbed in deep concentration.


Sensorial

Sensorial

A core learning area in a Montessori Prepared Environment for young children (from birth to 6 years of age).

It includes activities that develop and refine the 5 senses--seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling. 

The Montessori Materials used in the sensorial area materials were created to help young children in the process of creating and organising their intelligence. Each material isolates a quality found in the world (such as colour, size, shape, etc.) to allow children to focus their attention on this one aspect.

Skill outcomes

A type of learning outcome specific to a Montessori Professional Learning Series course. 

It is a specific list of what students should be able to do by the end of the course or module.

Summative assessment

One of two types of assessments.

These are assessment activities designed to formally evaluate student learning.

In Montessori Professional Learning Series courses, students enrolled in the Participation Stream are not required to complete the summative assessment activities. Students enrolled in the Certification Stream are required to successfully complete all summative assessment activities to be awarded a Certificate of Attainment.