CMS 101

Maria Montessori was born in 1870. In 1895, she became the first woman in Italy to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine. This background led Dr. Montessori to approach education more from the scientific level than the accepted academic standard. She observed children and was constantly testing and retesting the validity of her concepts--concepts that would contribute to a more natural growth of learning in students. She designed materials and techniques that advanced the method of educating all children, whether learning disabled or gifted far beyond previous practice. To Dr. Montessori, education was a preparation for life, not merely a search for intellectual skills. Dr. Montessori died in 1952. Today, after decades of international application, the Montessori Method thrives in the United States, with more than 3,000 schools established since 1957.

Dr. Maria Montessori began a theory of education that has survived for nearly a century. There are more than 3,000 Montessori schools in the United States alone, a testament to the success and wisdom of this great teacher.

Her fundamental premise was very simple: children gain information primarily through their senses; every child learns at a different rate and with different stimuli; and that for any educational venture to be successful, it must provide for the child's academic, social, spiritual, and emotional needs.

Therefore, the Montessori classroom is a calm, nurturing environment full of wonderful materials that teach many skills. The teacher in this room is called a Directress, because she shares information with the student and then leads or directs the student to the next level of skills. It is not unusual to see several children in the room working on a multitude of different projects at the same time. There is a low buzz of quiet conversation as the children share, explore, and discover. This is a happy place where there are always smiles.