“Of all things, love Is the most potent.”

- Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori and
Her Philosophy

The Montessori Method of educating children was initiated in the early 1900’s by Dr. Maria Montessori, one of Italy’s first female physicians. Personal interest led her to devote her professional life to discovering a better way of educating children. Through observation and experimentation, Dr. Montessori refined a style of presentation and designed a set of learning materials that best matched the way children learn.

The Montessori Method of teaching represents a profound respect for the child. It is a model grounded in stages of development as revealed by children themselves. It makes the most of the innate intelligence of the child. Dr. Montessori discovered stages of readiness for assimilating concepts, and she found that children have natural curiosity and instinctive motivation to pursue what is of interest to them. Her method acknowledges that while all children pass through phases of readiness, each child has an individual timeline which must be honored.

When Dr. Montessori established her first classroom, Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) in 1907, she arranged within it furniture and materials that were sized to match a child’s stature. The setting was designed for success in lessons and mastery of independence. Over time, she refined the Montessori Curriculum to focus on five areas of study: Sensorial, Practical Life, Math, Language and Culture (geography, history, art, music, foreign language). Dr. Montessori conceived multi-age class groupings, which promote a supportive rather than competitive environment and which foster confidence through role modeling.

As a person who lived through two world wars, Dr. Maria Montessori longed for world peace. She believed that such a peace resides in the hearts of children. Because of her work, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in the years 1949, 1950 & 1951.

In the Montessori philosophy, the spirit of the child is as critically important as the mind of the child. A true Montessori program nurtures the whole child. Alongside academic lessons, children learn to respect cultures unlike their own and to accept differences among individuals. Peaceful behavior is taught through ‘grace and courtesy,’ a component of Practical Life. The Montessori educated child knows that each person has the ability to initiate ripples of peace that will impact the world.

The Montessori Method lit upon an approach to education that was ahead of its time. Recent scientific research into how children learn supports Dr. Montessori’s conclusions. Furthermore, Montessori education fosters teamwork, global awareness and critical thinking – all qualities that are needed in today’s world.

For more about Maria Montessori see the American Montessori Society website or her Wikipedia page.

Who’s Who in Montessori!

Have you ever wondered who else might have attended a Montessori school? The list is impressive and includes many names you will recognize.

Former Montessori Students Include:

  • Taylor Swift

    Singer / Songwriter

  • Larry Page

    Google Co-Founder

  • Sergey Brin

    Google Co-Founder

  • Jeffrey Bezos

    Amazon.com Founder

  • Mark Zuckerberg

    Facebook Founder

  • Prince William

    British Royal family

  • Prince Harry

    British Royal family

  • Katherine Graham

    Owner/Editor Washington Post

  • Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

    Editor, Former First Lady

  • Anne Frank

    Author

  • Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    Nobel Prize winner for Literature

  • Julia Child

    Chef / Author

  • Peter Drucker

    Management Guru

  • George Clooney

    Actor

  • Yo-Yo Ma

    Classical Cellist

  • Stephen Curry

    NBA Player

Other Famous Connections:

President Woodrow Wilson’s daughter trained as a Montessori teacher. There was a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House during Wilson’s presidency.

Alexander Graham Bell, inventor, founded the Montessori Education Association in 1913. He gave financial support to Dr. Maria Montessori and helped establish two of the first Montessori classrooms in Canada and the US.

Jean Piaget, noted Swiss psychologist, made his first observations of children in a Montessori school. He was also head of the Swiss Montessori Society for many years.

Thomas Edison, scientist and inventor, helped found a Montessori school.

Erik Erikson, noted anthropologist/author, had a Montessori teaching certificate.

Mister Rogers, children’s TV personality, was a strong supporter of Montessori education.

Alice Waters, restaurateur/writer, is a former Montessori teacher.