Montessori Education

Montessori is an educational style discovered by Dr. Maria Montessori that supports the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of the individual child.

Dr. Maria Montessori lived from 1870-1952. As the first female doctor of medicine in Italy, Dr. Montessori first began working with children in a psychiatric ward. After her clinical work in the psychiatric ward, Dr. Montessori oversaw what was the first childcare center in 1907, which she called the Children's House. As a scientific observer and with profound respect for the spirit within the child, Dr. Montessori discovered that with a purposefully prepared environment equipped with child chosen materials, and a trained teacher guiding the children in their work, the normal characteristics of childhood emerged.

The teachers in a Montessori classroom serve the individual child, linking the child to the carefully planned and prepared environment. Dr. Montessori believed that a child from birth to the age of six has an absorbent mind. With an absorbent mind, the child is taking in everything from his environment. Dr. Montessori understood that the prepared environment was as important to the child as the teacher.

The lessons in the Montessori classroom are specially designed to call to the child’s inner teacher. Through working (mental and physical energy working purposefully in unison) the normal characteristics of child hood emerge.

This information was taken from E.M. Standing’s book Maria Montessori Her Life and Work (pg 175-178)