Philosophy and Method

Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and academic, developed the Montessori method of education in the early 1900’s. Based on her direct observations of children’s learning patterns, she devised a number of principles to guide educators:

• Children mature and learn at different rates from each other
• Each child learns at varying rates over time and in different subjects
• Children are naturally capable and motivated learners
• They respond best to guidance and encouragement, not control
• They enjoy helping each other and doing other meaningful work
• They learn best in a stable but stimulating environment

Dr. Montessori recognized that the most effective impulse to learning is the natural self-motivation of the child. In other words, children best teach themselves (active), rather than being taught by others (passive). Thus, the goal of Montessori education is to cultivate children’s natural desire to learn (the process), rather than fill the children with facts (the content). Whereas the content of what children need to know will undergo significant change during a lifetime, the process of learning will serve them well throughout their lives. Success in Montessori is then indicated by their enthusiastic, eager, and joyful pursuit of learning, rather than performance on a content-oriented test.

More detailed information about the Montessori philosophy and child development in general is available at the Montessori for Everyone web site, here.