Maria Montessori
Montessori was born on August 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy. She is best known for coming up with the Montessori method and her teaching. She came up with the method while teaching mentally disabled children.
The Montessori Method
An educational approach developed by Maria Montessori and is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development.
Important Elements of the Method
- Mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children ages 2½ or 3 to 6 years old by far the most common
- Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
- Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
- A constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction
- Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators
- Freedom of movement within the classroom
- A trained Montessori teacher
Maria Montessori and Freud
Montessori and Freud were alive at the same time, but we see a difference between the two and their theories. Freud is more for a structured approach compared to Montessori who has a less structured approach to education.