A child during this period tends to mimic what they see. An infant will look at everything intently without discrimination or choice. He ( or she) learns to sit, stand, walk, speak without conscious effort. The Unconscious Stage( from 0-3 years of age)ĭuring this stage, the child absorbs information unconsciously or unknowingly.

What the child takes in during the absorbent mind period is taken effortlessly and remains as the foundation of his or her personality.Īccording to Dr.Montessori, the absorbent mind can be divided into two stages: the Unconscious Stage and the Conscious Stage. The child’s absorbent mind can be compared to a camera snapping images of everything it sees through the lens or to a sponge soaking in everything within the environment. Though some of it is consciously taught, a great deal of it is simply absorbed through the power of a child’s mind. He learns how to behave in certain situations, he learns how and what to eat. What is an absorbent mind?Īccording to the American Montessori Society, the absorbent mind is from birth through approximately age of six, the young child experiences a period of intense mental activity that allows the child to” absorb” learning from his or her environment without conscious effort, naturally and spontaneously.Ĭhild absorbs not only the language, but the traits of his family and his community. As an adult, if you have attempted to learn a foreign language, you know it’s not easy. It is a common occurrence that happens every day in every country at just about the same time. I don’t recall anyone teaching me the vocabulary, the grammar or the syntax. As a child, I spoke two languages, my mother tongue: Sinhala and English, which is considered the official language of Sri Lanka.

Maria montessori the absorbent mind