Dr. Maria Montessori

“Within the child lies the fate of the future.” — Dr. Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori was clearly ahead of her time, and her core principles—that effective learning is self-directed and calls for the development of the whole person—uniquely prepare children for our fast-changing world.

Historical Timeline

• Maria Montessori was born in 1871 to a prominent family.
• In 1896, she became the first woman in Italy ever to be admitted into medical school and she subsequently became the first female medical doctor in all of Italy.
• In 1904, Dr. Montessori became professor of anthropology at the University of Rome.
• In 1907, she opened a clinic in Rome for children with learning disabilities and physical disorders. At the clinic, known as Casa Dei Bambini, Dr. Montessori applied scientific observation to the needs of the child and discovered the child’s need for intellectual stimulation. She began to design her unique auto-didactic materials that have come to be known as the Montessori Equipment.

Dr. Montessori’s Educational Program 

Dr. Montessori’s unique educational program has coming to be known as the Montessori Method and today, it is practiced successfully around the world. She died in 1952 after having been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. She had only one child, Mario Montessori, who was a student of Dr. Montessori and one of our school’s founders.

Recommended Reading

For further reading about the life of Dr. Montessori, we recommend:

• Kramer, R. (1978) Maria Montessori, Oxford: Blackwell.
• Standing, E.M. (1998) Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work