Who started Montessori education?
The Montessori Method was developed in 1907 by Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952), a pioneer in the field of early childhood education. She was the first female Italian physician, and a professor of anthropology at the University of Rome. Her first work with mentally delayed children received such acclaim that she was asked to start a daycare center in Rome’s inner city. This was the first “Children’s House.” Montessori’s central observation was that young children constructed themselves by using what was available in a carefully prepared environment. Using scientific observations, she developed multi-sensory, developmental materials along with a method which developed children’s natural abilities and interest in learning.
