preview

Montessori : A World Educator

Decent Essays
Maria Montessori was a world renowned educator. According to the American Montessori Society, Maria Montessori engrossed herself in as many fields as possible before reaching her final destination in education. According to Mooney, she started her career by attending medical school, then specializing in pediatrics and becoming the first woman to graduate medical school in Italy. After graduating, Montessori worked with patients in insane asylums with children who had been labeled as “unable to learn.” With her scientific background and medical education, Montessori developed a process to teach children who were “unteachable,” or “unable to learn.” Montessori’s career continued when she opened a children’s home in Rome. After other’s saw…show more content…
In a study by Rathunde and Csikszentmihalyi (2005), results showed that children who attended Montessori schools report higher alertness and energy levels as well as greater enjoyment and interest in school than students who attended traditional “American” schools. Another study by Lillard showed that children who attended classic Montessori programs had a larger, more significant gain in executive function compared to children in conventional public preschool programs.
One of the main ideas Montessori is most known for was the thought that children needed furnishings, tools, and toys their own size in order to be comfortable and successful. Montessori had special tools for gardening, cooking, wood working, painting and most anything else imaginable, special made to fit a child’s small hand. Montessori felt it was important to teach children how to properly use tools such as scissors and knives, or shovels and rakes rather than create fake or unusable tools. Montessori also believed that these tools should be kept in an area where they can be accessed by children with ease. However, in many of today’s classrooms, teachers often put things such as paint or scissors out of children’s reach for fear of messes that will be made.
Montessori also warned adults about the consequences of “serving” children.
Get Access