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In 1907, a young physician, Dr. Maria Montessori, opened a small school in Rome’s inner city. The school was unlike anything that had existed previously. It was a bold move. It was based on a daring idea. It was formulated through observing hundreds of children. It was simply this:
Children Teach Themselves
Dr. Montessori expanded her audacious idea into a universal vision. Coupled with a carefully crafted classroom approach informed by her beliefs, Maria Montessori developed an educational method that is now celebrated around the world.
Maria Montessori was a visionary, a woman who led an extraordinary life. As the first woman to graduate from the University of Rome School of Medicine, Dr. Maria Montessori gained recognition at a young age for her work in math and the established sciences. She also pursued study in the newer disciplines of the day, anthropology and psychiatry, two areas of interest that would be of great value to her in her work as a physician and scientist.
Her approach to education was developed based on her observations in conjunction with her background in psychology and her belief that the education of children was the means to create a better society. She observed children around the world and found that the laws of development she had recognized in Italy were universal and inherent in children of all races and cultures. The Montessori approach to education continues to be respected and practiced internationally today.
To be a woman actively practicing medicine in the Italy of 1896 was a remarkable enough achievement to bring public acclaim and noteriety. Yet it was her gift to children—her gift of truly seeing, understanding, and respecting children—that led to her greatest accomplishment: development of a unique approach to the education of children. Her approach remains as powerful, inventive, and child-responsive today as it was in 1907 when she opened her first school.
Click here for information about Dr. Maria Montessori’s life
Click here to learn more about Mario Montessori, Sr. |
