Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for her philosophy of education and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early age, Montessori enrolled in classes at an all-boys technical school, with hopes of becoming an engineer. She soon had a change of heart and began medical school at the Sapienza University of Rome, becoming one of the first women to attend medical school in Italy; she graduated with honors in 1896. Her educational method is in use today in many public and private schools globally.
Portrait of Montessori, artist and date unknown
Maria Montessori c. 1880
Maria Montessori in 1913
Italian lira banknote, 1990 issue
The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It discourages some conventional measures of achievement, such as grades and tests.
Traditional Montessori educational materials on display at the exhibition "Designed for children" at Triennale di Milano, Milan
Children working with a moveable alphabet at a Montessori school
The Scarborough School at the Edward Harden Mansion in Sleepy Hollow, New York, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the site of the first American Montessori school in 1911
A Montessori classroom in the United States