Mneme too early to learn

The Montessori method is based on certain principles that are closely linked to the physiological and mental development of children. These include the concepts of mneme, horme and sensitive periods. Mneme, coined by Sir Percy Nunn, refers to a kind of memory where the young child "does not consciously remember, but absorbs images into (his) very life." as stated by Montessori (1995). This is most obviously seen in the development of language in the child. A one year old child, for example, is able to speak in  the language he grows up in without having received instruction. 

Closely linked to this is the importance of the environment in the child's development. Evans, Kelly, Sikora & Treiman (2010) found that children who came from home with many books stayed in school longer regardless of their parents' education, occupation and class. A warm, stable and nurturing home is thus critical to raising well-rounded children. 

As Muslims,we believe in how children are born on fitrah with believe in Allah and are shaped by their environment. In Bukhari and Muslim, Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "No one is born except upon natural instinct, then his parents turn him into a Jew or Christian or Magian."

While Montessori, who is ahead of her time in many aspects, talked about the importance of a calm birth, current knowledge on foetal development supports the need for this process to start from the womb. Homeschooling allows parents to stretch this further through the preschool and schooling years by creating the home environment that not only encourages learning but also continued embodiment of values and culture that the family upholds. 

When a child is impeded in his quest to learn, there is a danger of regression, of returning to the safety of the womb, and fear of exploring his environment. Mothers hold their children back when they try to do everything for them. Worried about the mess that a 2-year old can make when he eats, she might rather feed him and stop him from trying to feed himself. When the toddler continually faces this, he might stop trying to be more independent and soon relies on his mother or other adults to feed him. 

Bearing in mind how Montessori believes the child is able to absorb the stimulations around him, the home is able to provide him with a headstart in learning without all the cumbersome gimmicky enrichment classes being marketed to the consumer these days. 

It is with worrying concern to see for example how apart from reading programmes, we are now seeing the trend of Quran memorisation classes catered for increasingly younger children. 

If a family has a habit of reading, the child himself will seek to join this activity which he sees the rest of his loved ones doing. He will seek to learn what is it that intrigues his brother or mother every day. He will ask how words are read and in turn seeks knowledge for himself. 

If a family has a habit of memorising, the child will do the same. He will pick up the readings that are repeated daily by his mother as she cooks and cleans. He will too memorise what is being memorised by his sister each morning after Fajr as per her daily ritual.

As adults we not only play a supportive role, as Montessori (1989) said "We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself;...", we should also work towards becoming model characters our children aspire to become. 

References

Montessori, M. (1995). The Absorbent Mind

Montessori, M. (1989). Education for a New World. Clio. 

http://www.international-survey.org/PQ_2010_BooksOnEd27Nations_RSSM2.pdf