Montessori is a philosophy and method of educating children.

The Montessori philosophy and the educational method and equipment were developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the early 1900's in Italy. (See biography).

Montessori believed that childhood was essential to the wholeness of human life, not merely a stage to be passed through on the way to adulthood. She emphasized the potential that each child carries innately and the ability of the child to develop in environmental conditions of freedom and love.

The freedom given a child in a Montessori classroom is guided and in balance with his or her own comfort level. Freedom for the child is dependent on previous personality development involving independence, will and inner discipline.

Montessori felt it was achieved through the child's interaction with the environment and then internalized within the child. This is the first of two major components of the Montessori Method. She felt that the classroom environment needed to be designed specifically for children to meet their intellectual and physical needs.

The second component is the teacher. The role of the teacher is to serve as a guide rather than an authority figure to the children - inspiring the children's own development based on their individual needs.

No! It is for all children regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic level or intellectual ability.

Freedom, with responsibility, is especially important for the elementary student. Independence is learned only through exposure and the older child is guided in making responsible choices from the prepared environment of appropriate activities.

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