Dr. Maria Montessori
- She was born in Italy in the late 1800’s.
- She was an only child
- She was determined to go to medical school, even though no other woman had ever done so in Italy.
- Facing enormous discrimination, she persevered to graduate and become the first woman doctor in Italy.
- she was required to observe some children that the government had classified as mentally retarded. These children were kept in the ward of a mental institution, and had no toys or other outside stimulation. She noticed that they were so desparate for activities, they would pick crumbs up off the floor and roll them around in their fingers. She began to use some basic materials with them, and after a few months they were able to pass a state test - and even score higher than many normal children!
The first casaThe Italian authorities were quite impressed, and asked Maria to open a casa (or preschool, which was a new concept) in one of Italy’s poorest neighborhoods. At that time, children didn’t go to school until the age of six or seven, where they sat on hard benches and copied information of a chalkboard. Maria decided to throw out all existing ideas of how children learned and simply observe the children, letting them teach her about themselves.
What she discovered was astonishing. Children as young as two or three were interested in phonetic sounds - especially when they were presented with hands-on materials, like sandpaper letters for them to trace with their fingers. They really loved cleaning - not playing house, but actually sweeping, scrubbing, and cooking. They loved order and neatness, and when given the right environment, could concentrate on materials that taught counting, sorting, sounds, geometric shapes, texture, and many other concepts.
The Montessori method begins to growHer ideas spread through her lectures and the books she authored, and people around the world began visiting her schools in Italy to see how they were run. In 1912 she visited the United States for the first time, and as a result of her visit, an American Montessori Association was formed with Mrs. Alexander Graham Bell as president and Miss Margaret Wilson, President Woodrow Wilson’s daughter, as secretary.
In 1915 she returned to the US, this time to give a training course in California. During this visit a Montessori classroom was set up at the San Francisco World’s Fair; the children worked behind a wall of glass so visitors could observe their work. It became an extremely popular attraction, as people marveled at the concentration and abilities of the students.
Montessori todayIf one word could sum up her method, it would be respect. Respect for the mind of the child, combined with a thoughtfully prepared environment and a Montessori trained-teacher, produces children who are confident, curious, and independent.
In today’s Montessori classroom, children use all of the same materials Maria developed, and the results are similar across countries and cultures. Children develop traits like a love of reading, an interest in every kind of topic, the ability to find information independently, and a deep sense of community and responsibility.
A well-run Montessori classroom is an amazing sight: children going to each other for help, looking up answers in reference books on their own, completing work and putting it back on the shelf, then choosing another - all without ever glancing at the teacher.
"Any child who is self- sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence."
Dr. Maria Montessori
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Pouring
Poring exercises develop eye-hand coordination, while indirectly promoting movements, which are necessary for writing.
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Spooning
Spooning exercises teach the child the correct way to hold a spoon, which is a preparation for writing. The exercises also allow the child to experience left to right sequence, which is preparation for reading.
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Dressing Frames
The dressing frames develop small muscle coordination while also teaching the child personal dressing skills.
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Sweeping
Through sweeping exercise, the child develops motor control and attention to detail, while taking care of the environment.
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