Widely recognized as a pioneer in the development of early childhood education, Dr. Maria Montessori was the first woman physician in Italy. Her methods revolutionized the education system, as they were based entirely on scientific research and observation.
She emphasized that the teacher observes the child to utterly understand how to teach. The child’s educational needs were always placed in the center of the curriculum, which naturally invited criticism in her time. Sustaining great resistance, she set up her first school, called House of Children in Rome, and implemented her Method. Surprised at its explosive success, she was then allowed to teach students in the Montessori Method in many places.
She evolved her Method through trial and error, which, after more than 100 years, has excelled in understanding the child and nudging the child in the right direction, boosting self-learning.
She continued to monitor the development of children after they had entered the real world and saw them blossom as a result of the Montessori teaching techniques.