Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Italy. She was the first woman to earn a medical degree in Italy, but her real passion was education.
She then studied child psychology and developed an innovative educational approach that revolutionized teaching.
The Montessori approach is based on the idea that children are naturally curious and autonomous. She believed that every child has unique potential that needs to be nurtured and nurtured. The Montessori approach emphasizes experiential learning, using specific teaching tools that allow children to work independently.
Maria Montessori founded her first school, the " Casa dei Bambini ", in 1907 in Rome. This school was intended for underprivileged children and it was a great success. The Montessori approach was subsequently adopted around the world, with Montessori schools in over 100 countries.
The Montessori method is based on the use of specific teaching materials, designed to help children understand the concepts in a concrete way. For example, to teach math, children use colored cubes to learn the concepts of quantity and measurement. To learn to read, children use wooden letters that they can touch and manipulate.
The Montessori approach also emphasizes freedom of choice and exploration . Children can choose the activities they want to do and work at their own pace.
Montessori teachers are there to guide and encourage children, but they do not dictate the content of learning.
Maria Montessori also contributed to the understanding of the child as an individual. She identified sensitive periods in the development of the child, where he is more receptive to certain experiences and learning. For example, she observed that children have a sensitive period for language between the ages of 0 and 6 , and she created specific activities to help children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language.
In summary, the Montessori approach is an educational method that emphasizes experiential learning, freedom of choice and exploration, and individualization of instruction. Maria Montessori revolutionized education by understanding the child as a curious and autonomous being, and by creating an educational method that allows the unique potential of each child to be nurtured.