The Absorbent Mind

The Absorbent Mind

With the term “absorbent mind”, we refer to the mind’s ability refers to take in information from the environment that surrounds it. Young children have the ability to absorb. Babies are born only with a survival instinct. Everything else they absorb it from their environment.

Children from birth to three years old they use their senses to “absorb” their environment. They use their hands, taste, eyes, ears and nose, without thought or choice. This is known as the “unconscious period”. With this ability the child learns how to walk, speak, control its body and movements by only observing and absorb, unconsciously, which will lead to future independence.

After the age of three the child acts consciously and uses his experiences from the first three years of his life as a guide to lead him to intellectual development and freedom. The child starts to move purposely, concentrate and move with freedom of choice.

You must have seen children staring at someone or something and not moving at all or not responding. We were showing a new language activity in the classroom to three children and there was a girl who was staring at us and did not participate or move or talk. After we were done and we put away the activity, after a while we heard her voice saying exactly the same sentences that we used when we presented the activity! She had absorbed everything that was happening during our presentation and was actually teaching another child!

If we give them time and a stimulating environment they will be prepared for the world and their future. Whatever they can absorb up to the age of six years old will be part of them for the rest of their life.

In the house we can see how they try to follow us and do whatever we are doing. From cutting a carrot to put on our shoes by ourselves. They can record everything in their mind and try to do it by themselves. We must encourage them and help them be successful.

Dr. Montessori uses a phrase to describe the child’s absorbent mind:

“ The absorbent mind welcomes everything, puts its hope in everything, accepts poverty equally with wealth, adopts any religion and the prejudices and habits of its countrymen, incarnating all in itself. This is the child!” (Maria Montessori, Absorbent Mind) .

Referred reading: “Absorbent Mind”, (Maria Montessori) Chapter 5. The miracle of creation, Chapter 16. From unconscious creator to conscious worker.