The Montessori method is a result of the experience and discoveries of Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Upon graduation as the first woman medical doctor in Italy, Dr. Montessori became interested in the education and training of special needs children.
Dr. Montessori's career began with a group of disadvantaged children in 1907 when she opened her famous Casa dei Bambini. Through her observations of and work with the children, she discovered their remarkable, almost effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings. Children teach themselves! This simple and profound truth inspired Dr. Montessori's lifelong pursuit of educational reform, curriculum development, methodology, psychology, teaching and teacher training, all based on her dedication to further the self-creating process of the child.
Dr. Montessori designed materials and techniques that allowed her children to work in areas previously considered beyond their capacity. Dr. Montessori's great triumph came when these children took state examinations along with other children, and her children excelled in the exam results.
Today, after almost 75 years of international application, the Montessori method thrives in the United States with more than 3,000 schools established since 1957.
Dr. Maria Montessori
1870-1952