Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870, in Italy. She became the first female physician in her country. In her medical practice, her clinical observations led her to analyze how children learn from what they find in their immediate environment.

Montessori founded the first Casa del Bambini, or “Children’s House” in Rome in 1906. In the “Children’s House,” Montessori developed what ultimately became known as the Montessori Method of education. Montessori Method was based upon Dr. Montessori’s scientific observations of the children’s almost effortless ability to absorb knowledge from their surroundings and tireless interest in manipulating materials. Every piece of equipment, every exercise, every method Montessori developed was based on what she observed children do “naturally” on their own, unassisted by adults. Montessori dedicated her life to furthering the self-creating process of the child through educational reform and teaching techniques based upon her discoveries.


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Maria Montessori died in Holland in 1952, but her work continues. Today there are close to five thousand private and approximately two hundred public Montessori schools in the United States. Montessori schools exist in Canada, Russia, Japan, Israel, Australia, India, and many other countries.