The Absorbent Mind
“It may be said that we acquire knowledge by using our minds; but the child absorbs knowledge directly into his psychic life. Simply by continuing to live, the child learns to speak his native tongue. A kind of mental chemistry goes on within him. We, by contrast are recipients. Impressions pour into us and we store them in our minds; but we ourselves remain apart from them, just as a vase keeps separate from the water it contains. Instead the child undergoes a transformation. Impressions do not merely enter his mind; they form it. They incarnate themselves in him. The child creates his own ‘mental muscles’ using for this what he finds in the world about him. We have named this type of mentality, The Absorbent Mind”- Dr. Maria Montessori (Page 25, The Absorbent Mind).
I am currently making my way through The Absorbent Mind, one of Dr. Montessori’s finest works. I keep needing to stop and put it down just so that I can absorb the brilliance and true meaning of her writing.
I'm sure you’ve heard the of the term ‘absorbent mind’. But have you ever wondered what exactly it is?
The child’s special mind or ‘absorbent mind’ as termed by Dr. Montessori, is a mental energy that exists in children below 6 years of age. With the help of this mental energy, the child can take in whatever the environment has to offer and effortlessly acquire the characteristics of the immediate environment including language, culture, and movement patterns.
The absorbent mind is universal in that it applies to all children across the world. It is effortless and tireless, permanent, non-selective, and limitless. The absorbent mind follows the lead or push of inner sensitivities or guides of human characteristics, which manifest as sensitive periods in the child’s life.
Between the age of 0-3 years, the absorbent mind is unconscious i.e. children are not aware of what they are absorbing from their environment and are guided by a divine force called the ‘horme’. They don’t make a conscious effort to learn but instead they absorb using senses, by observing aspects of the environment, and by just living in the environment. Between 3-6 years, the absorbent mind becomes conscious i.e. children are still absorbing effortlessly but they become more aware about what they are absorbing.
Understanding these characteristics of the absorbent mind especially between birth to 3 years, it becomes our responsibility as caregivers of children to be their guides, to provide a rich and complete physical and human environment, to be vigilant and fiercely protect their space and freedom to develop and manifest their true potential.
So how do we do this?
Right from when a child is in utero, we can begin to prepare and maintain their external environment, keeping it calm, beautiful, and free from clutter.
We can prepare ourselves by reading and updating our knowledge about this critical time in a child’s life.
Once the child is born, we can observe them closely and make any adjustments to the environment depending on our observations.
We can observe and recognise the sensitive periods that the child is going through and provide the required stimulus or materials to further develop the same.
Based on our observations, we can link the child to the appropriate materials through presentations.
When the child is working, we can allow for the cycle of activity or uninterrupted work, protecting their concentration and avoiding any external disruptions or interruptions.
Dr. Montessori compared the absorbent mind to a sponge, noting the ability to absorb the water that it is placed into- whether clean and pristine, or murky and dirty. This places a significant responsibility on caregivers to be mindful of their actions and behaviours as the child is unconsciously absorbing it all. If we strive for a peaceful and just world, then we should be careful not to expose the child to our inherent biases, prejudices, and fears. We should instead work towards making our homes and communities peaceful, calm, respectful, gentle, and loving.
At the same time, we can immerse children in our daily lives, rhythms, chores, language, and culture; taking comfort in the fact that we do not need to specifically teach them any of this but that they will absorb all of it just by virtue of being around us. We can also make an effort to expose them to diverse cultures and ways of living; so that they will respect and love nature and all beings, and truly become citizens of the world.
Learning about the absorbent mind blew my mind and gave me this sense of relief at the same time- we don’t need to do anything “extra” with our young children. Just by being around us in the early years, they are already learning so much. It was my real aha! Montessori moment. What was yours?
