Maria Montessori, the first woman M.D. in Italy, was one of the early pioneers in the study of child development. In 1908, Dr. Montessori began her innovative approach with a group of children in Italy. Within a year, the accomplishments of the children earned her worldwide acclaim and became a landmark in the education of young children. Dr. Montessori believed that learning takes place within the individual. A person who is truly educated has an inner motivation to learn due to a natural sense of curiosity and a love of knowledge. Thus she felt that the goal of early childhood education was not to fill the child with facts, but rather to cultivate the child's own natural desire to learn. The young child possesses extraordinary sensitivities for learning from this environment. Dr. Montessori compared the young mind to a sponge... it literally abosrbs information from the environment. A Montessori program allows the child freedom to explore in a carefully prepared classroom. Here he is exposed to materials and activities through which he accomplishes his most important goal.... the development of the self. The teacher is a vital link between the child and the prepared classroom. She matches the materials and activities to the child's inner needs. This is achieved by following the child through close observation of his interests and ablilitites. When the child indicates that he is ready and interested, the teacher provides the appropriate activities and challenges. In this way, the teacher actively guides the child toward the accomplishment of his/her individual goals. The following links provide more information on Maria Montessori and the Montessori method. www.amshq.org www.montessori.edu www.mthemagazine.com www.montessori.org digital.library.upenn.edu/women/montessori/method/method.html www.montessori-namta.org www.youtube.com

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