Maria Montessori
Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori (August 31,1870 – May 6,1952) was an Italian physician and educator who is best known for her methods and philosophy in early childhood education.
Maria Montessori was dedicated to her own education in medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry. She spent her early career working with and advocating for children with various learning and behavioral difficulties. Children deemed impossible to teach were able to learn and thrive with the care of Dr. Montessori. Further inspired by her experience with children and their natural relationship with learning, Dr. Montessori dedicated to herself to, what she would later call, scientific pedagogy. This form of research eventually led to the opening of the first Montessori school in 1907, the Casa dei Bambini—Italian for “Children’s House.”
Children naturally showed great interest in working with puzzles, learning to prepare meals and clean their environment, and engaging in hands-on learning experiences. As Dr. Montessori observed, the children became calm, had periods of deep concentration, and sustained order in caring for their environment. The children essentially taught themselves by engaging with their surroundings.
Reflecting on her earlier work with young children and scientific observations, Dr. Montessori designed unique learning materials and created a classroom environment to foster the children’s natural desire to learn. This design is still used today.
News quickly spread of the school’s success resulting in Montessori schools existing all over the world using the successful methods of Maria Montessori. We are thankful for her work which we use to care after learning environment for our children.
“It is not true,” says Dr. Montessori, “that I invented what is called the Montessori Method. I have studied the child, I have taken what the child has given me and expressed it, and that is what is called the Montessori Method.”
