What is Montessori

Life &Works of Dr. Maria Montessori

Dr. Montessori is recognized as the founder of Montessori Method and one of the pioneers in the development of early childhood education. She is also respected and reputed for promoting a substantial number of important educational reforms, which now have become integral components of 21st century's educational core. Montessori was born on 31st August 1870 to an educated middle-class family in Ancona, Italy. She was the only child of her parents. Her father's name was Alessandro Montessori and he was a conservative military man. On the other hand, her mother, Renidle Montessori, was a liberal lady and supported Maria' educational pursuit. Her father's frequent transfers gave Maria a chance to have education in big cities throughout Italy. Almost whole of Europe, in those days, was very conservative in its attitude toward and treatment of women. Italy was no exception but Montessori pursued medical and scientific education. Despite many years of opposition from her father, teachers, and male fellow students, she graduated with highest honors from the Medical School of the University of Rome, becoming the first woman physician in Italy in 1896. Thus, Montessori holds the title of being the first lady doctor in the history of Italy.

Work with Special Children

Montessori was always unwilling to enter education as a career as it was one of the three traditional roles open to women at that time: working with children, homemaking or the convent. But the ironic thing is that she became best known for her contributions in education. As a physician, Montessori specialized in pediatrics and the new field of psychiatry. Her approach was more scientific, rather than the familiar philosophical approach followed by many of the educational innovators who came before and after her. Montessori taught at the medical school of the University of Rome, and through its free clinics she came into frequent contact with the children of the working class and poor. Her experience with the children of poverty convinced Montessori that intelligence is not rare, although it seemed to present itself in many forms other than those recognized by traditional schools. I n 1900, at the elapse of just a short span of four years after her degree in medicine, Montessori was appointed director of the new Orthophrenic School attached to the University of Rome, formerly a municipal asylum for the "deficient and insane" (special) children of the city, most of whom would be diagnosed in the twenty-first century asautistic* or mentally disabled. One day she inquired from a nurse about their awful condition, to which she replied that they fought for food and threw themselves on the floor to catch breadcrumbs… that was how they got dirty. Thus, thec hildren were kept in a prison like room with less food and no hopes of recovery. She and her colleagues started a wave of reform in the institution. Montessori discovered that her young patients needed purposeful activities, which could stimulate their senses and mind, and add into their selfesteem, and the sense of achievement. Montessori dismissed the nurses and caretakers who treated those children with hatred and contempt. This caused a great scarcity of staff. However, Montessori set out to teach as many as possible of the less-disturbed children to care for themselves and their fellow inmates.

Maria Montessori Inspiration from Itard and Séguin

For almost a year (from 1900 to 1901), Montessori browsed the medical libraries of Western Europe seeking successful work previously done with the education of children with disabilities. During her hunt she got inspired by the work of two almost forgotten French doctors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775 - 1838) and Édouard Séguin (1812-1880). Itard is well known even today for his work with the "Wild Boy of Aveyron", a young boy who was found by some hunters wandering naked in the forest. The boy was, presumably, lost or abandoned as a very young child and thus spent many years of life alone in the forest. The boy could not speak and lacked almost all of the skills of everyday life. This boy had grown up outside of human society without the influence of interaction with his own kind. Itard started a study of the boy in order to shed some light on the age-old debate about what proportion of human intelligence and personality is hereditary (genetic) and what proportion stems from learned behavior (environmental influence). This experiment was a limited success. Itard found his wild boy uncooperative and unwilling or unable to learn most things. This led him to postulate the existence of developmental periods in normal human growth. He formed the hypothesis that, during these "sensitive periods," a child must experience stimulation to develop normally, or he will grow up forever lacking the skills and intellectual concepts not developed at the stage when nature expects them to be readily absorbed. In simple terms, if appropriate experiences are not available at specific times during development in early years, it may get hindered or does not take place at all. Although Itard's efforts to teach the wild boy were barely successful, his work had two important implications; 1) If proper stimulation and experiences are not provided during sensitive periods of development to a child, it may hinder or does not take place at all. 2) Furtherance of handicapped children is possible.