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The Absorbent Mind: Infant to Six Years-old
In this first stage, ages 0-6, children’s minds are like little sponges soaking up information, which is why they are said to have “absorbent minds.”
From 0-3, kids explore the world through their senses of touch and taste, grabbing everything they can find and usually popping it into their mouths.
It’s their way of learning and crucial for their early years. Thankfully, that practice drops off around age three when they enter formal education settings.
Until the age of six, children still need those concrete experiences. Don’t move to the abstract too soon.
They learn best by handling objects and experiencing things firsthand. The journey towards understanding the abstract, the spiritual, begins with what we can see and touch.
They gather information like gathering pieces of a puzzle. However, they don’t need to put those pieces together just yet.
They’ll connect them in the next stage.
Religious Activities for the Absorbent Mind
What kind of religious activities should we focus on for children under six years old? The emphasis should be on what is real and tangible.
Kids this age need to experience concrete realities, again, without knowing how everything fits into the bigger picture.
Kids are naturally curious and often ask, “Why?” But that’s not because they’re looking for a long-winded explanation.
They want to keep the conversation going, to stay engaged and connected.
At this age, kids are fascinated by names, images, and stories of critical religious realities. Reading storybook Bibles is a great way to feed this fascination.
These Bibles present the significant characters and stories of the Old and New Testaments. They don’t tell the whole story, but that’s fine for this age.
They don’t need to know how the entire Bible story fits together. Making connections too soon can disrupt their natural learning process.
Start with very simple illustrated children’s Bibles like The Beginner’s Bible or The Action Storybook Bible. There is a lot to choose from.
Get a large number of these so you can have a good selection to rotate through. When one gets old, move on to another.
These Bibles tend to repeat the same stories, but that’s good.
Reading these stories over and over will solidify the essential pieces, laying a foundation for deeper understanding in the future.
Engaging in Practical Life Activities
Practical life activities seem like a waste of time but play into the child’s capacities and natural interests.
Having kids do little tasks and chores, like dusting, pouring dry lentils, polishing, arranging flowers, washing leaves, and keeping things tidy, slows them down and engrosses them in the concrete.