In 1896, Maria Montessori became Italy’s first female doctor. As a physician, Maria Montessori had an opportunity to work with many different children and to observe them under a variety of circumstances. Over time, she formalized her study of children and sought to design tools to help children learn.
Dr. Montessori devoted her life to the education and understanding of children. She believed the purpose of education was to assist the process of life. She died in 1952 leaving a legacy that continues to grow as more of her ideas are implemented in classrooms worldwide.In 1907, Dr. Montessori opened the first “children’s house” for children of working parents in an apartment complex in Rome. Using scientific methods to observe and analyze how children learn, Montessori revolutionized our understanding of children and their education. She discovered that children’s learning capabilities are specific to their developmental stage of life. A complete Montessori education, for infants through secondary school, allows children to maximize their learning potential.
“It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe…….. To work consciously for the child and to go deep down, with the tremendous intention of understanding him, would be to conquer the secrets of mankind, just as so many secrets of nature have been conquered in the world around us.”
-Dr. Maria Montessori