The Absorbent Mind

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) became an acclaimed Italian educator and noted humanitarian best known for inventing the philosophy of education which bears her name. Her educational method is in use today in public as well as private schools throughout the world. The efficacy of Montessori teaching methods has most recently been demonstrated by the results of a study which indicates that Montessori children have improved behavioral and academic skills compared with children from the mainstream school system. The authors concluded that "when strictly implemented, Montessori education fosters social and academic skills that are equal or superior to those fostered by a pool of other types of schools." The Montessori method of education has subsequently been applied successfully to children and is quite popular in many parts of the world. Despite much criticism of her method in the early 1930s-1940s, her method of education has undergone a revival. It can now be found on six continents.