History of Montessori

Series Summary

Some people don't give children the credit they deserve. Rather than treating them as independent human beings, some think that kids can't be self-directed, especially when it comes to education. While this may be true for some children, there is a great deal of danger in teaching a child that they are incapable of self-sufficiency. However, there is an educational method that empowers children with self-directed activities. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the Montessori method teaches children to do their own learning. Once an idea or object is introduced to a child, the teacher calmly steps away as the “silent presence” in the classroom. Invented by Maria Montessori, the method was originally used to help children that were thought to be unteachable. Through the process of working with these children, Dr. Montessori discovered a way for kids to learn through the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, motor skill coordination, and concrete knowledge. The atmosphere is pleasant for children, and they interact with the world in a natural and peaceful way.

In this free video series, learn about the Montessori method. owns a Montessori school. She walks you through all kinds of activities. Learn how children are introduced to science, language, mathematics, geography, and culture. See how child are encouraged to do art, and get a peek at what a traditional snack time looks like. If you are having difficulties deciding whether the Montessori method is right for your child, take a moment and learn a little bit more about Montessori schools.

Video Transcript

"Today, I'm going to talk about the history of Montessori. Montessori was established over a hundred years ago by Dr. Maria Montessori. She worked in a, an environment, educating children that were deemed unteachable. And, she made such progress that she wondered what would happen if she went into the general population and did some of the same activities, and that is where Montessori began. Dr. Maria Montessori is from Italy and she was a doctor, a female doctor, over a hundred years ago, which was way before her time. She established a lot of her activities, just from household items. This is one example of how the, her activities have grown. She did this, which is a color tablet. She made that activity out of spools of thread. And, many of the activities that you see in a Montessori school can be handmade or made from just household items. So, that, doing, working on a budget was how she established all the new activities and everyone of them has a purpose for each individual child. So, that is where Montessori began."