Her Life and Contributions
Maria Montessori is the name of an Italian medical doctor who became a world renowned educator. Her medical training led to her background and interest in science. In her medical practice working with, and observing children, Maria Montessori became interested in developing and promoting a scientific approach to the study of children and to education. This led to many changes in education that we take for granted today. In addition, her discoveries led to a new approach to education that is practiced in both private and public Montessori schools around the world.
Maria Montessori
Child Development and Education
Children want and need to be active. They want and need things to do. They are developing their system and their ability to do things. The things they particularly enjoy help them develop their abilities. They are not born with fixed intelligence and they don't develop abilities automatically. They develop through being engaged in activities that support development. As a result, adults need to understand the abilities that children need to develop, and the activities and conditions that support that development.
As a result, the Montessori approach to education has grown out of research on how children develop and learn, and what the conditions are that maximizes the release of the child's potential. The focus is on the learner and learning. It is on identifying what the learner needs to be able to do in order to develop. And so, the Montessori approach is activity based, and the classroom is organized, and time and process is structured, to support engagement in meaningful activity. If properly achieved, the result is satisfied, content, and happy children.
