ABSTRACT

One of the areas of research of most potential value to education is the study of what have come to be known as critical periods, or, the term that seems to the author preferable in discussing children's development, sensitive periods. Observation indicates a fairly dramatic sensitive period for developing the language capacity. Empirical research is exposing other clear cases of sensitive periods in humans. An important tool for, and product of, learning at each stage is some development in language. Flexible and sophisticated language use in general correlates highly with an ability to master typical content. The greatest present danger to children's educational development seems to the author to be the prevalence and growth of a curriculum which seems intent on suppressing, burying, atrophying children's vivid forms of thinking in local detail and trivia. At risk of tautology, the romantic stage is the sensitive period for the development of a sense of romance.