Reprinted from the American Montessori Society's Web Site:
Nearly 100 years ago, an Italian physician inspired the birth of a
worldwide educational movement. Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy’s first
woman physician, became interested in education while caring for
mentally challenged children in a psychiatric clinic in Rome. There
she combined sensory-rich environments and hands-on
experiential techniques in the hopes of reaching children previously
labeled “deficient and insane.” The experiment was a resounding
success. Within two years, the children were able to pass Italy’s
standardized public school tests. More importantly, Montessori’s
innovative practices had elicited positive learning behaviors from
children previously left behind by society.
In 1907, Montessori continued shaping her learning model by
opening “A Children’s House” for pre-school children living in the
slums of San Lorenzo. With her scientific background to guide her,
she observed how young people learned best when engaged in
purposeful activity rather than simply being fed information. She
drew upon her clinical understanding of children’s cognitive growth
and development in constructing an educational framework that
would respect individuality and fulfill the needs of the “whole child.”
Dr. Montessori’s pioneering work created a blueprint for nurturing
all children –learning disabled to gifted—to become the self-
motivated, independent and life-long learners that are the ultimate
goal of today’s educational reform movement.
Since that time, Montessori’s philosophy, materials and practices
have spread around the globe and have been implemented in a
variety of cultural settings. Following Dr. Montessori’s death in the
early 1950s, the method enjoyed a renaissance in America as
parents sought new learning options for their children. In 1960,
parent and teacher Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch founded the
American Montessori Society (AMS) to meet an overwhelming
public demand for more information on Montessori education.
Today, Dr. Montessori’s visionary ideas flourish as the cornerstone
of a thriving educational practice. There are 3,863 Montessori
schools in the U.S. including 325 programs in public and charter
schools, where the interest in enrollment often results in long
waiting lists.
As more and more schools incorporated core elements of her
model—multi-age classrooms, early childhood education—
Montessori became widely recognized as being ahead of her time.
Remarkably, her visionary ideas remain viable concepts that have
profoundly influenced the entire educational landscape.
Nearly 100 years ago, an Italian physician inspired the birth of a
worldwide educational movement. Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy’s first
woman physician, became interested in education while caring for
mentally challenged children in a psychiatric clinic in Rome. There
she combined sensory-rich environments and hands-on
experiential techniques in the hopes of reaching children previously
labeled “deficient and insane.” The experiment was a resounding
success. Within two years, the children were able to pass Italy’s
standardized public school tests. More importantly, Montessori’s
innovative practices had elicited positive learning behaviors from
children previously left behind by society.
In 1907, Montessori continued shaping her learning model by
opening “A Children’s House” for pre-school children living in the
slums of San Lorenzo. With her scientific background to guide her,
she observed how young people learned best when engaged in
purposeful activity rather than simply being fed information. She
drew upon her clinical understanding of children’s cognitive growth
and development in constructing an educational framework that
would respect individuality and fulfill the needs of the “whole child.”
Dr. Montessori’s pioneering work created a blueprint for nurturing
all children –learning disabled to gifted—to become the self-
motivated, independent and life-long learners that are the ultimate
goal of today’s educational reform movement.
Since that time, Montessori’s philosophy, materials and practices
have spread around the globe and have been implemented in a
variety of cultural settings. Following Dr. Montessori’s death in the
early 1950s, the method enjoyed a renaissance in America as
parents sought new learning options for their children. In 1960,
parent and teacher Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch founded the
American Montessori Society (AMS) to meet an overwhelming
public demand for more information on Montessori education.
Today, Dr. Montessori’s visionary ideas flourish as the cornerstone
of a thriving educational practice. There are 3,863 Montessori
schools in the U.S. including 325 programs in public and charter
schools, where the interest in enrollment often results in long
waiting lists.
As more and more schools incorporated core elements of her
model—multi-age classrooms, early childhood education—
Montessori became widely recognized as being ahead of her time.
Remarkably, her visionary ideas remain viable concepts that have
profoundly influenced the entire educational landscape.
| History of Montessori Theory and Method |
2486 Falcon Pass
Houston, TX 77062
281-486-4971
info@clearlakemontessori.com
Houston, TX 77062
281-486-4971
info@clearlakemontessori.com
| Clear Lake Montessori School |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |