Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first woman to be granted a diploma as a certified physician in Italy. Following her interest in human development, she assisted at a clinic for mentally ill patients, and later directed the Orthophrenic School for mentally challenged children in Rome. During this time Dr. Montessori lectured throughout Europe concerning the needs of children and their value to the future of our societies. She stressed the need to change our attitudes about children and their treatment.
Knowing the works of Pestalozzi, Froebel, Itard and Sequin, Dr. Montessori set about creating a scientific framework to observe children and their natural path of development. In 1906 Dr. Montessori was given the responsibility of caring for a group of children in the San Lorenzo slum district of Rome. Through her work, she developed a vision of the whole person through all stages of development from birth through adulthood. She began to see the importance of a positive, nurturing environment that changes with the developmental needs of the child. As she observed the children and their response to the environment, she saw them demonstrate capabilities and interests that exceeded her expectations. The set of materials used in the “Montessori” environment were designed over a period of many years by Dr. Maria Montessori and her associates and they created a concrete, physical representation of the concepts and skills that children are naturally motivated to learn in their normal course of development.
Maria Montessori was a visionary, not easily daunted by the many challenges she faced during her career. She traveled extensively, lecturing and teaching throughout Europe, India and in the United States. She was recognized for her efforts by educators, psychologists and political leaders of the day. Her associates included such people as: Ann Freud, Erik Erikson, Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander Graham Bell and Jean Piaget.
Dr. Montessori recognized the value of her discoveries and truly believed that she had discovered much more than an educational theory. She saw a vision of a new world where children who grew up in an atmosphere of peace and respect extended that attitude into adult life.
Dr. Montessori conducted her first American training course in California in 1915. As she carried her vision around the world, she felt that a time had come to ensure the quality and integrity of what was being handed down in her training courses. She founded the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in Holland in 1929. Today AMI continues to ensure quality teacher training and the existence of excellent schools worldwide.
Dr. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950 and 1951 and continued working, teaching and writing up to the time of her death. Maria Montessori never lived to see the fulfillment of her dreams, but her legacy lives on in the children whose lives are touched by her discoveries about life.
(Excerpted with permission from the Montessori Institute Northwest, an AMI Training Center)