At each plane of development, a particular level of independence is attained. .
In the first plane, the child strives for functional independence. Dr. Montessori told the story of a young child who actually said to his teacher, "Help me to do it by myself." (Montessori, "Four Planes of Education," p.4, reprinted in 2004) .
At the second plane, this changes to, "Help me to think for myself," as the child works towards intellectual independence.
At the third plane, the adolescent moves toward social/emotional independence "Help me find myself." .
At the fourth plane, early adulthood, the young adult strives for economic independence; "Help me to support myself.".
As the child moves from one plane to another, the adult must recognize the physical and mental manifestations at each stage and prepare an environment suited to those needs.
Montessori writes, "My vision of the future is no longer of people taking exams and proceeding on that certificationbut of individuals passing from one stage of independence to a higher, by means of their own activity, through their own effort of will, which constitutes the inner evolution of the individual." (Childhood to Adolescence, (Clio, 2003 edition).
The first plane of development: .
The first plane of development occurs from birth to around six years of age. It is divided into two sub-planes, (birth-3) and (3-6). .
At birth, a human baby is virtually helpless, and yet in only a span of two or three years has gone from being inert to running and dancing, from crying and cooing to chattering and singing. .
The child is not born with a small vocabulary that she just needs to build upon. The child actually creates language – whatever language it hears. The newborn is not able to stand or walk a little bit and needs only to practice, the child must create movement by building up their muscles and coordinating motions and balance in order to roll over, sit, and crawl.
