Toddlers' ability to soak up vast quantities of information is legendary. Maria Montessori, the founder of the famous developmentally-based Montessori schools, calls the early childhood years, the time of the “Absorbent Mind.” More brain growth occurs during these twenty-four months than during any other period. The combination of brain development and daily learning accounts for their dramatic gains in understanding, remembering, thinking, reasoning, and solving problems. In two short years, the foundation is laid for all future learning.