Montessori Preschool Curriculum
The Montessori educational philosophy recognizes that children's physical, social, emotional and intellectual development is interrelated. In Montessori classrooms, children are allowed to respond to their natural drive to learn. The role of the teacher is to facilitate, record and observe as children progress at their own pace and rhythm, giving them guidance where needed. Each child is respected as a unique personality and as an important, responsible member of a community.
Montessori Curriculum Overview
The creator of this distinctive method: Dr. Maria Montessori
Dr. Maria Montessori was born in 1870, and became one of the first female physicians in Italy upon graduating medical school in 1896. She observed in her medical practice that children build their learning from what they find in their environment. She discovered that children absorb knowledge from their surroundings with little effort, and have the unique ability to teach themselves. A true Renaissance woman, Dr. Montessori continued her studies in psychology and philosophy and became a professor of anthropology at the University of Rome. Her enthusiasm for helping children was so great that she gave up both her university chair and medical practice to establish the Casa dei Bambini, or "Children's House." Her first trip to the United States attracted the support of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Helen Keller. In 1915, she drew global attention with her "glass house" schoolroom exhibit at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition in San Francisco. After World War I, Dr. Montessori continued her teacher training in London and her native Italy. Just prior to World War II, her antifascist views forced her into exile, and she carried on her mission in the Netherlands and India. Dr. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times: in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
