1. THE CHILD’S TRANSITION BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND PLANES OF DEVELOPMENT Keystone Coffee Talk – September 12, 2013 Compiled by Ms. Ann Velasco

2. A period of tremendous transformation Physical mental First Plane of Development 0-6 years

3. A period of stable growth Physical Intellectual Second Plane of Development 6 – 12 years

4. The mind of the child  A quality we only have during the 1 st plane  Allows the child to unconsciously absorb everything  Absorbs language, Movement, Culture, Order  Lasts the rest of our lives  Eager and receptive to new knowledge in a conscious way  Research takes on importance  Works tirelessly to delve deeply into their interests 1 st Plane: Absorbent Mind2 nd Plane: Reasoning Mind

5. The mind of the child  Wants to know ‘what’  We give them names for everything  Learns by handling and experiencing things in the concrete  Wants to know ‘why’  We encourage their exploration of reasons, history, consequences for their inquiries  Often learns through reading, stories 1sr Plane: Concrete2 nd Plane: Abstract

6. Character  “tender and graceful little being” (MM) Has a sweet nature  We feel protective  Adult provides environment where all needs are met.  Connection with caregivers provides security to explore environment  A certain hardness of character  Age of ‘rudeness’  Very frank and direct  He wants to have a say in meeting his own needs  Connection with caregivers provides security to explore his community / world 1 st Plane: tenderness2 nd Plane: hardness

7. Independence  Focus on being able to act by and for himself  Develops skills needed to act independently, to care for self & environment  “be able to act without help”  Focus on being able to decide for himself  Develops intellect to know independently, to form ideas and opinions  Resents arbitrary adult directives 1 st Plane: Functional Independence 2 nd Plane: Independence of thought

8. Social Relations  Fairly egotistical in focus – concerned with self  Develops the aptitude to interact with others on a social level (3-6 yrs)  How to function within a group in a positive way  Birth of social personality.  Group of peers takes on new significance  Herd instinct  Group games of greater importance  Family = security, but there is a separation 1 st Plane2 nd Plane

9. Child’s Society  Sense of belonging to group larger than immediate family  Mutual solidarity & identification with the group  How a society works  Wants to govern his own society  Classroom meetings  Opportunities to make decisions, leadership 1 st Plane: Social Cohesion2 nd Plane: Functioning of Society

10. How to Behave  Child must create his own behavior  Not born with any behavior, but with the power to create behavior  Wants to know how to behave in certain situations  Heightened sensitivity towards ethical vs not  Young 2 nd plane “tattles” to get feedback  Strong sense of justice  Wants to know ‘why’ we behave in certain ways 1 st Plane: Exploring Specific Behaviors 2 nd Plane: Developing own Moral Compass

11. Creates an individual of his time and place  Adaptation to time and place  His experiences influence his adaptation  Concerned with the social expectations of peers  Wants to know how his community works  Interested in differences in cultures 1 st plane2 nd Plane

12. Imagination  Reproduces in his mind those things he has experienced  Creative endeavors reflect those things he has experienced  Creates in his mind images of things he has never experienced  Can imagine scenes from different time and place  Imaginative constructs in art and science 1 st Plane: Reproductive Imagination 2 nd Plane: Creative Imagination

13. Learning Environment  The environment supports order, language, movement, independence,  Freedom to make choices  Dual Environment: the classroom with the materials & the greater community at large  “going out”  Greater understanding of the world around him.  Freedom to make choices 1 st Plane: Children’s House 2 nd Plane: Dual learning environment