Dr. Montessori was Italy’s first female physician. She dedicated herself to helping children have a better chance in life through education. She also believed that education is the only means to bring about sustainable world peace. Her ideas and theories were revolutionary in her time over a 100 years ago; however, they have withstood the test of time. Montessori schools are growing in number around the world. Neuroscience and current educational research support her theories and many of her ideas are now accepted as mainstream concepts.

Dr. Montessori’s theory about childhood development was based on a lifetime of experience working and observing children rather than on any preconceived notion of how children developed. She discovered that children have immense creative powers within themselves, and recognized that their spiritual development is central to their growth. By spiritual, Dr. MOntessori, referred to the will and the mind. Children learn through direct interaction with their environment and go through distinct phases of development. In each phase, the child has unique developmental needs that need to be adequately addressed.

Dr. Montessori devised her educational philosophy and curriculum around the unique developmental needs of the child at each phase of development.