The Montessori Method

Dr. Maria Montessori and How the Montessori Method Began

Maria Montessori was born in Ancona, Italy, in 1870. When she was twelve, her family moved to Rome. At the age of thirteen, against the wishes of her father but with the support of her mother, she began attending a boys’ technical school. After seven years of engineering studies, she applied to medical school at the University of Rome.

In 1896, Dr. Montessori became the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome Medical School. She then joined the staff of the University in the Psychiatric Clinic, where she worked with children in psychiatric institutions. Dr. Montessori became convinced that these children could benefit from special education. She started by using ideas and didactic materials from earlier educators, such as Itard and Séguin. She then elaborated on these materials and developed new ones based on her observations, notes, and intensive work. To her amazement, these children began learning many things that had seemed impossible.

Dr. Montessori returned to the University of Rome to study philosophy, psychology, and anthropology. She also served on the staff of the Women’s Training College in Rome. In 1904, she was named professor of anthropology at the University of Rome. Her desire to help children was so strong that in 1906 she decided to dedicate herself entirely to the study of education and human development.

In 1907, Dr. Montessori was asked to take over a daycare centre in San Lorenzo, one of the poorest quarters of Rome. It was there that she founded the first Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House), which consisted of approximately sixty underprivileged children between the ages of three and six. In less than a year, these children had become self-assured, self-motivated, and responsible individuals. They also began to read and write spontaneously, which caught the public’s attention. These children became known throughout the world as Dr. Montessori’s “miracle children.” News of this unprecedented success soon spread around the world. Dr. Montessori began a life of world travel, establishing schools and teacher training centres, lecturing, and writing.

In Rome, Dr. Montessori developed an elementary program for children from 6 to 12 years old. Working within a mixed-age group, using specifically designed materials, and having the freedom to explore led children to achieve a much higher level than was previously thought possible for children of this age.

In 1922, Dr. Montessori was appointed government inspector of schools in Italy. In 1929, she founded the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) to ensure that the integrity of her work would be maintained and that it would be perpetuated after her death. In 1931, Dr. Montessori was forced into exile from Italy because of her antifascist views. She lived in Spain, India, and the Netherlands, which is now the headquarters of AMI.

In the 1940s, inspired by the extraordinary potential of children revealed in the early years, Dr. Montessori stated that age three was too late to begin supporting the work and development of the child. In 1947, she created an infancy program.

Dr. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times – in 1949, 1950, and 1951. She died in Noordwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, in 1952, but not without leaving a legacy that continues to be embraced to this day. Since Dr. Montessori’s death, interest in her method of education has continued to spread throughout the world. Her message was always to turn one’s attention to the child – to “follow the child.” It is because of this basic tenet, and the guidelines she left behind, that Dr. Montessori’s ideas will always remain at the leading edge of education.

“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.”
– Maria Montessori

Montessori is both a methodology and an educational approach, based on Dr. Montessori’s scientific observations of children’s needs and natural learning tendencies. Her studies of children from all racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds allowed her to develop universal educational principles. These, together with a vast range of self-correcting materials and a prepared environment for mixed-age groups, came to be known as the Montessori Method of Education.

Dr. Montessori believed that education should not just be academic but that it should also be an aid to life. Her observations led her to understand that children have special sensitivities at different stages of their development. By preparing learning environments that respond to these characteristics, children learn academic skills with greater ease and enthusiasm. They also develop self-esteem, self-discipline, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as care and respect for others. All of these qualities help them become fulfilled individuals and contribute positively to society. This is the essence of the Montessori Method.

Characteristics of Montessori Method

The primary goal of Montessori is to help each child reach full potential.
Each child learns at their own pace, according to their own abilities, interests, and needs.
The child’s natural joy of learning is encouraged and supported.
Furniture and materials are adapted to children’s size.
Children learn in a concrete way through sensory materials.
The materials are self-correcting, which develops independence and self-confidence in the child.
Children use real, breakable materials and take part in activities which are purposeful. Mistakes are part of the learning process.
Children are free to move and make choices (within appropriate limits).
Classes group children of mixed ages to encourage social and intellectual development.
Teachers act as guides and observers.