Maria Montessori

Born in 1870, and following her mother’s encouragement to pursue her natural proclivity of interests, Maria Montessori studied anthropology, psychiatry, math, physics, biology, and education. She became the first woman physician in Italy in 1896. While working in a Psychiatric clinic, Dr. Montessori became interested in the mentally challenged and the deplorable conditions of their care. Later, when caring for “uneducable” children, her observations led her to conclude that children “build themselves” from their surroundings or “environment.” She found that each moved through “sensitive periods” of development and when offered activities that helped develop life skills, the students worked tirelessly and for long periods of time.

Maria Montessori opened the first Casa de Bambini, in 1907, with upwards of sixty children. She presented “didactic materials” she had designed earlier and observed the children choosing the materials and going happily to work. She found, too, that when the materials were offered at particular stages of development, the children would joyfully stay at the task for unusual amounts of time. She observed that young students learned the various tasks and concepts easily and without effort, as if to “absorb” the information. She named the period from age 0 – 6 the “absorbent mind.”

She taught the older students how to perform chores of the classroom and found that not only did they enjoy the work, but they taught the younger students how to do them as well. The “constructive” work gave the children great pride and self worth; they felt valued and important.

People from all over the world came to observe such young children going about the classroom, performing tasks without the interference of the adult, and presenting themselves as very mature, wise, and peaceful students. The respect that she required from the parents of the children and the modeling of the same within the classroom provided the foundation for her peace education.

Dr. Montessori’s career spanned several decades of traveling throughout the world helping establish other schools and training centers, and advocating that peace in the world would only come through the children.