Dr. Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952) was an educator who spent more than 50 years carefully observing children, discovering how children learn best, and developing methods and materials for teaching. Her approach is child-centered. The Montessori teacher is known as a “guide.” One Montessori educator described her perspective this way:
It is the task of each child to develop himself into as complete a human being as possible. All around us children are going about this task, sincerely and energetically, every day. Nature has endowed these young children with wonderfully absorbent minds and acute sensitivities, allowing them to acquire certain kinds of knowledge and abilities more completely and easily before age six than at any time later in their lives. How successfully each child accomplishes this task in these early years has a bearing not only on the amount of knowledge and skill he will have at his command in later years, but, more importantly, the attitudes toward himself, his world, and learning that he embraces. Montessori education is based on a heart-felt respect for this task of the child, and on a careful observation of the process by which it is accomplished. What we offer is a thoughtful response to this natural unfolding so that, in each case, it can be as successful and complete as possible. Our goal for the child is the development of an attitude toward himself of confidence and esteem; toward the world, of care and respect; and toward learning, of joy and enthusiasm.
For further information about Montessori you may visit the following website
Suggested Reading:
- Books by Dr. Maria Montessori
- The Child in the Family
- The Absorbent Mind
- Other Recommended Reading
- Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius by Angeline Lillard
- Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
- Toilet Awareness by Sarah Moudry
Video: NAMTA video excerpt (4 minutes) Maria Montessori: Her Life and Legacy
