The first Montessori school opened in 1907. Since then, thousands of children worldwide have received this one-of-a-kind education. The unique learning methods have been adopted by homeschoolers, charter schools, private schools, and public schools alike. This educational approach continues to thrive more than 100 years later. Here is a look back at the humble beginnings.
Maria Montessori’s Early Life and Education
Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870, in Chiaravalle, Italy, to Alessandro Montessori and Renilde Stoppani. She and her mother shared a close, encouraging relationship. Her father, however, was not pleased with Maria’s desire for further education, a common attitude in an era when women were rarely highly educated.
At age 12, her family moved to Rome, where Maria enrolled at a technical school. Her passion for engineering, science, and mathematics was strong, despite those subjects being considered exclusively for boys. Her parents encouraged her toward teaching, a traditionally female profession. She persisted, and was eventually permitted to attend an all-boys school.
After a time, Montessori decided to pursue medicine, a field women had not previously been allowed to enter. This created conflict with her father, while her mother’s support strained her parents’ marriage. Dr. Montessori often found herself as a peacemaker between them. She persisted and thrived, studying anthropology, psychology, and Latin alongside her medical coursework.
It was her own educational experiences that began to shape the model for her future schools. Females were not permitted to dissect cadavers in the presence of male students, so Maria spent hours alone at night completing this work. She faced backlash and harassment from fellow students, yet her professors and classmates quickly recognized her exceptional potential.
Her education continued throughout her life. She audited classes in pedagogy and was a lifelong reader, devouring every book she could find on educational approaches from the previous 200 years.
Work With Children Begins
Although Dr. Montessori did not set out to work with children, her path slowly unfolded before her. She found herself working at a psychiatric hospital for children with profound special needs. It was here that she began to evaluate educational approaches for children in earnest, becoming an international voice for their treatment and rights. She dove into the studies of Jean-Marc Itard and Édouard Séguin as her theories developed.
Montessori observed the patterns of behavior among these children, who spent their days in plain white rooms. Her research began with toys and manipulatives. Gradually, her educational theories developed as she worked to give these children a better life. She began to believe they did not need more medicine. They needed a chance at education.
The culture of the period meant that many children in Rome were left alone all day while parents worked. Many began working themselves at a young age; education was not valued. Montessori began advocating loudly for these children.
“To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.”— Maria Montessori
Dr. Maria Montessori made an irreplaceable impact on education. Her early years of forming schools and developing her theories are fascinating. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the History of Montessori, where we explore how she built her first schools and brought her method to the world.
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