Dr. Montessori was born in 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy and became the first female physician in her country. Her clinical observations as both a medical doctor and scientific researcher led her to analyze how children learn and build meaning from what they find in their environment. Through her careful observations she noticed that children had an effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings, as well as a tireless interest in manipulating materials. Every piece of equipment and every exercise Dr. Maria Montessori went on to develop was based on what she observed children do ‘naturally’ and without much assistance from teachers.
In 1907, Dr. Maria Montessori opened her first school, Casa dei Bambini, which offered the materials and method she designed. Those same self-correcting materials that she created and used back then - materials that encouraged the use of children’s five senses so that they could become observers of their own community and environment while developing their own capabilities and motivation - are still used today in schools world-wide. Her philosophy of child development and her rationale for guiding such growth have withstood the test of time and have been supported since by current brain and child development research.
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