Montessori: Foundations

Maria Montessori: Foundations

Maria Montessori built one of the most influential alternative educational systems of the twentieth century, starting from clinical work with children with mental disabilities and extending into a method now used in thousands of schools worldwide. The chapter works through her life and influences, the first Casa dei Bambini experiment in 1907, the core elements of her method, and her account of early reading and writing.

Who Montessori Was

The clinical paediatrician who became the most influential alternative educator of the twentieth century, founder of Casa dei Bambini and the Montessori Method

Influences and the First Experiment

Itard, Séguin, and Sergi as the three early influences, and the 1907 Casa dei Bambini that launched the Montessori method

Elements of the Method

Practical life materials, the discovery of silence, sensorial education, and freedom as the first principle of Montessori education

Social Relationships and Natural Tendencies

The new teacher-student relationship, social justice in the classroom, and the natural tendencies of free children

Reading, Writing, and Modern Relevance

Why Montessori first refused to teach reading and writing, the sandpaper letters, metal insets, and how her work connects to current educational issues