Montessori School of Florence

e Montessori method of teaching young children is based on the methods and philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator (1870-1953). Dr. Montessori’s work extended over many years and over three continents. It includes specially designed materials, which were refined through observation of children. She has written numerous books, which are available at our school and through bookstores and libraries. A Montessori school provides a secure, orderly, stimulating environment based on the basic concepts discovered by Dr. Maria Montessori. It is more than just a method of learning, it is a way of life. A Montessori school begins with love and respect for the child. Dr. Montessori believed that no human being is educated by another person. A truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and years he spends in the classroom because he is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love for knowledge. Dr. Montessori felt, therefore, that the goal of the early childhood education should not be to fill the child with facts from a pre-selected course of studies, but rather to cultivate his own natural desire to learn. In the Montessori classroom this objective is approached in two ways. First, the child is allowed to experience the excitement of learning by his own choice rather than by being forced. Second, the teacher helps the child to perfect all his natural tools for learning so that his ability will be at a maximum in future situations. The Montessori materials have this dual long-range purpose in addition to their immediate purpose of giving specific information to the child.