The Montessori method in Education: Societal Needs Yesterday and Today

What is Montessori education? For more than a century now, the child-focused approach that Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, developed for educating children has been transforming schools around the globe. As soon as you enter a classroom, you know that something different is afoot. Montessori classrooms are immediately recognizable. You will see children working independently and in groups, often with specially designed learning materials; deeply engaged in their work; and respectful of themselves and their surroundings. The Montessori Method fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children and adolescents in all areas of their development — cognitive, emotional, social, and physical. Montessori education is student-led and self-paced, but guided, assessed, and enriched by knowledgeable and caring teachers, the leadership of their peers, and a nurturing environment. Within the community of a multi-age classroom — designed to create natural opportunities for independence, citizenship, and accountability — children embrace multi-sensory learning and passionate inquiry.