The History of Montessori

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Dr. Maria Montessori was one of the first female doctors in Italy. Although misunderstood by her contemporaries and some today, she was a pioneer in her thoughts and actions toward children. She did not work with the elite, as many people think, but the disadvantaged, the mentally and physically challenged, and the poor. She brought her theories of sensorial learning to life and began to create educational tools that would expedite and facilitate their love for learning. She was the first to create child-sized everything; instead of mini-adults, she respected children as children. She coined the phrase “a place for everything and everything in its place” to recognize the child’s need for order and beauty, meaningful engagement, and purposeful work.

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She further observed that children are different from each other and need to learn at their own pace and time of readiness. The first six years are the most sensitive and critical period of the child’s life. The child has the unique ability (one that is lost in adulthood) to absorb everything in their environment in an intuitive way. Dr. Montessori developed what she called the “prepared environment,” which has a certain order and allows children to develop at their own pace, according to their own capabilities, in a non-competitive atmosphere. She said, “Never let a child risk failure until he has a reasonable chance of success.” She also observed that children have an innate love and need for purposeful activities. The child receives pleasure in the “doing,” not just in the profit and completion of the task, as adults do. Specially trained adults referred to as “guides” inspire “learners” to become curious, natural learners.  These same concepts, when applied to elders living with dementia, have similar beneficial results as young children.

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The Montessori philosophy of education is that every child carries within themselves the person that they will become. To develop their physical, intellectual, emotional, linguistic, social, and spiritual capacity, they must have freedom. This freedom is achieved through order and self-discipline, a freedom not to do what you want but to do what is right. A child’s world is full of sights and sounds that appear chaotic, and in this chaos they must create order, thus learning to master themselves in the world in which they live. Elders can benefit from this rediscovery.

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In each of our specially prepared environments designed for multi-ages, materials are on the shelves grouped by subjects or key curriculum components.  The shelves “read” from left to right, top to bottom so that children would be aware of a progression from easiest to most difficult.  Younger children have routine-free, restraint-free environments, allowing for independence and growth. Older children can only touch a material if shown the “lesson” as a measure of control and order in the classroom.  More than that, everyone desires repetition and becomes familiar with the work.   There are unique materials designed to teach all aspects of faith, math, sensorial/geometry, language, science, history, geography, practical life, grace and courtesy, and peace education. There are special areas for our materials of faith called “The Atrium.”

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Dr. Montessori used the term “Atrium,” derived from the gathering place for worship in the early Christian church, to describe the spiritual environment that is carefully set up and prepared for the children to proclaim the message of Jesus, teach the lessons Jesus taught, and focus on the Word and worship. Each of our environments houses an altar, religious work, and biblical lessons through which the children can express their faith in Christ. 

 

“The Montessori Method was furnished with a long-sought opportunity of penetrating deeper in the life of the {human} soul, and of thus fulfilling its true educational mission.” (E.M. Standing).  The history of Dr. Maria Montessori is alive and well as thousands have used her materials and methods across the globe.  It is the world's largest educational pedagogy and is found in most countries around the world.  We are blessed to share in this legacy and have found, in our own ways - the Christian Montessori approach to education to be the best in every day possible.  

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