Where does the Montessori Method come from?
The Montessori Method of teaching stemmed from Maria Montessori (August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952) who was an Italian physician, educator, philosopher, humanitarian, and Catholic. She is best known for her philosophy and the Montessori Method of Education of children from birth to adolescence. Her educational method is in use today in many schools throughout the world. With at least 4,000 Montessori Schools in the United States and 7,000 schools worldwide (1). Montessori stated through her observations of her pupils that:
“Scientific observation has established that education is not what the teacher gives; education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment. Human teachers can only help the great work that is being done . . . Doing so, they will be witnesses to the unfolding of the human soul and to the rising of a new [child] who will not be a victim of events, but will have the clarity of vision to direct and shape the future of human society”(2).