The Child's Absorbent Mind: Birth to Six
Maria Montessori discovered that during the developmental period from birth to six,
children have an extraordinary, sponge-like, ability to absorb and learn from their environment.
To describe this phenomenon she coined the term Absorbent Mind.
She believed this to be an unconscious power that exists only in childhood.
During this time children teach themselves by absorbing information (think how language is learned)
and by acting upon their environment (think learning by doing).
Observing the young child's natural and spontaneous ability to absorb and
learn from their environment convinced Montessori that
birth to six is the most important time for learning, and for personality and character formation.
Montessori recognized the absorbent mind phase as the "formative period" which is
"the foundation for the period of development following it." She also recognized it as a time when "impressions not only penetrate into his [the child's] mind, they form it."
While these findings were WAY ahead of her time, perhaps even more so was her discovery that
during the years from birth to age six concentration is essential for healthy development.
Montessori's long experience with children convinced her that
concentration "lays the whole basis for character and social behavior."
(Wow. Take a moment to think about that. Concentration.)
The Child's Absorbent Mind: Zero to Three and Three to Six
Montessori divided the absorbent mind period into two distinct stages, zero to three and three to six.
During the zero to three period the baby and young child is unconsciously learning, absorbing like a sponge and taking in everything from their surroundings, including attitudes, how they are treated, how others are treated, how they are spoken to, customs, cultural norms, religion, language, etc.
During this time the brain is collecting information and the personality is forming.
During the three to six period learning becomes more conscious as the child approaches age six.
The child is still absorbing from their surroundings though, and is
building on impressions from the earlier zero to three period.
Within the absorbent mind phase there are critical times in a child's development
for learning specific kinds of things, such as walking, language, reading and writing.
Montessori called these critical times for learning Sensitive Periods.
children have an extraordinary, sponge-like, ability to absorb and learn from their environment.
To describe this phenomenon she coined the term Absorbent Mind.
She believed this to be an unconscious power that exists only in childhood.
During this time children teach themselves by absorbing information (think how language is learned)
and by acting upon their environment (think learning by doing).
Observing the young child's natural and spontaneous ability to absorb and
learn from their environment convinced Montessori that
birth to six is the most important time for learning, and for personality and character formation.
Montessori recognized the absorbent mind phase as the "formative period" which is
"the foundation for the period of development following it." She also recognized it as a time when "impressions not only penetrate into his [the child's] mind, they form it."
While these findings were WAY ahead of her time, perhaps even more so was her discovery that
during the years from birth to age six concentration is essential for healthy development.
Montessori's long experience with children convinced her that
concentration "lays the whole basis for character and social behavior."
(Wow. Take a moment to think about that. Concentration.)
The Child's Absorbent Mind: Zero to Three and Three to Six
Montessori divided the absorbent mind period into two distinct stages, zero to three and three to six.
During the zero to three period the baby and young child is unconsciously learning, absorbing like a sponge and taking in everything from their surroundings, including attitudes, how they are treated, how others are treated, how they are spoken to, customs, cultural norms, religion, language, etc.
During this time the brain is collecting information and the personality is forming.
During the three to six period learning becomes more conscious as the child approaches age six.
The child is still absorbing from their surroundings though, and is
building on impressions from the earlier zero to three period.
Within the absorbent mind phase there are critical times in a child's development
for learning specific kinds of things, such as walking, language, reading and writing.
Montessori called these critical times for learning Sensitive Periods.
