The Absorbent mind

by Maria Montessori

Based on lectures given by Dr. Montessori, The Absorbent Mind is an analysis of the physical and psychological aspects of a child's growth during the most significant period of life, birth to three years. During this period, the child learns motor coordination, language, and social skills, and establishes work habits and routines that set patterns for life. Dr. Montessori illustrates the mental powers of children that enable them to construct all aspects of human personality.

About the Author:

Maria Montessori (1870-1952), Italian physician and educationist, born in Rome, the first woman in Italy to receive a mediacal degree (1894), she founded a school for children with learning disabilities (1899-1901), and developed a system of education for children of three to six based on spontaneity of expression and freedom from restraint. The system was later worked out for older childre, and applied in Montessori schools throughout the world. She opened the first Montessori school for children in the slums of Rome in 1907.